diff --git a/runtime/queries/cylc/highlights.scm b/runtime/queries/cylc/highlights.scm
index a744caa5..086caf78 100644
--- a/runtime/queries/cylc/highlights.scm
+++ b/runtime/queries/cylc/highlights.scm
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
   (graph_parenthesis)
 ] @punctuation.bracket
 
+(line_continuation) @punctuation.special
+
 [
   "\""
   "\"\"\""
diff --git a/runtime/queries/earthfile/highlights.scm b/runtime/queries/earthfile/highlights.scm
index cc7dce29..ee0e300b 100644
--- a/runtime/queries/earthfile/highlights.scm
+++ b/runtime/queries/earthfile/highlights.scm
@@ -126,4 +126,4 @@
 
 "=" @operator
 
-(line_continuation) @operator
+(line_continuation) @punctuation.special
diff --git a/runtime/queries/make/highlights.scm b/runtime/queries/make/highlights.scm
index afdfbe33..8d182c02 100644
--- a/runtime/queries/make/highlights.scm
+++ b/runtime/queries/make/highlights.scm
@@ -168,3 +168,5 @@
     "file"
     "value"
   ] @function.builtin)
+
+"\\" @punctuation.special
diff --git a/runtime/queries/matlab/highlights.scm b/runtime/queries/matlab/highlights.scm
index 66ec6946..05713e05 100644
--- a/runtime/queries/matlab/highlights.scm
+++ b/runtime/queries/matlab/highlights.scm
@@ -211,10 +211,9 @@
   (#eq? @boolean "false"))
 
 ; Comments
-[
-  (comment)
-  (line_continuation)
-] @comment @spell
+(comment) @comment @spell
+
+(line_continuation) @punctuation.special
 
 ((comment) @keyword.directive
   (#lua-match? @keyword.directive "^%%%% "))
diff --git a/runtime/queries/python/highlights.scm b/runtime/queries/python/highlights.scm
index e5b9ac3a..3e777d08 100644
--- a/runtime/queries/python/highlights.scm
+++ b/runtime/queries/python/highlights.scm
@@ -247,6 +247,8 @@
   "{" @punctuation.special
   "}" @punctuation.special)
 
+(line_continuation) @punctuation.special
+
 (type_conversion) @function.macro
 
 [