Identify the underlined word.

The runner sprinted past the park benches like lightning.

The underlined word is "like."

The underlined word in the sentence is "sprinted".

In the given sentence, the underlined word is "like." To identify this word, you need to analyze the sentence structure and the meaning conveyed by each word. In this case, "like" is used as a preposition to show the comparison between how the runner sprinted and the speed of lightning.