accelerate

verb

ik-ˈse-lə-ˌrāt How to pronounce accelerate (audio)
Definition of acceleratenext
1
as in to increase
to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number toy purchases accelerate dramatically during the Christmas season

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to rush
to cause to move or proceed fast or faster we accelerated preparations for the hurricane upon hearing weather reports that it had gained speed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to expand
to make greater in size, amount, or number the company accelerated its advertising purchases even as the economy appeared to be in recession

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of accelerate The focus on fraud has noticeably accelerated in the weeks leading up to the election. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Consumers will seek alternative sources of hydrocarbons and accelerate investments in renewables. — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026 But Europe has also been accelerating development of its own sovereign alternatives to Starlink that may prove useful for Ukraine in the future. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026 Knowledge that took decades to accumulate in China can thus accelerate development elsewhere. — Keyu Jin, Time, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accelerate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accelerate
  1. increase
  2. rush
  3. expand
  4. rise
  5. push
  6. augment
  7. swell
  8. hasten
Verb
  • Kim Hong-Cheol, the South Korean military official, said leaving the dispute over the military demarcation line unresolved would increase the risk of accidental clashes because troops from both sides act on their own understanding of the line.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026
  • As rain chances increase overnight, the temperature will drop to 40 degrees.
    — Hali Smith October 23, Idaho Statesman, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • The men rushed on to the plain, setting more trees ablaze and hurling rocks.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The unidentified man in his 30s was rushed to the hospital in critical condition but was pronounced dead later in the afternoon, according to the police.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of rush
Verb
  • An interceptor that can engage targets at greater distances could expand the area protected by existing air defense units.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Founded by three childhood friends, Olivier Bon, Pierre-Charles Cros, and Romée de Gorianoff, who were later joined by Xavier Padovani, the Experimental Group gradually expanded to encompass wine bars, restaurants, and boutique hotels.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of expand
Verb
  • A couple of sections in the shade, on the home sideline, rose a bit more than 3%.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But then shipping disruptions, rising fuel costs, and steep international tariffs made exporting increasingly difficult, prompting Yu to turn her attention to building a domestic market.
    — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • Rather than chasing fancy titles or splashy paychecks throughout her career, she’s gravitated toward jobs that pushed her out of her comfort zone, forced her to take risks, and taught her to embrace a little chaos.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Meta Platforms, which is pushing its Muse AI agent, lost 7% after reporting stronger revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its profit fell short.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of push
Verb
  • To prepare for this week’s storms, the Los Angeles Fire Department has augmented resources to help with swift-water rescues and mud and debris flows, with a specific focus on burn scar areas, according to a news release from Mayor Karen Bass.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s flexible realism also entails recognizing the need to form bespoke coalitions of the willing to augment the United Nations and other large multilateral institutions.
    — Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of augment
Verb
  • Engineers trying to support swelling AI workloads, video streaming, and cloud services often add thicker cables with more fiber pairs.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Hedge fund assets swell With gross assets now standing at about $13 trillion, hedge funds have become an increasingly important part of the global investor landscape, the IMF said on Tuesday.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • There, researchers have just announced that AI may help hasten the return of the extinct dodo, with the flightless bird, which vanished from the world more than 350 years ago, likely walking among us again sometime in the early 2030s.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
  • All of us owe the foursome a thanks for hastening the demise of the old Latino political machines that birthed them and kept the city stuck in tribalism for too long.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of hasten

Browse Nearby Words

acceding (to)
accelerate
accelerated
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Cite this Entry

“Accelerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accelerate. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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