accelerate

verb ac·cel·er·ate \ -lə-ˌrāt \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Examples: accelerate in a Sentence

Definition of accelerate

accelerated; accelerating

intransitive verb

1 : to move faster : to gain speed

The car slowly accelerated.

The pace of change has accelerated in recent months.

2 : to progress from grade to grade more rapidly than usual : to follow a speeded-up educational program

transitive verb

1 : to bring about at an earlier time

Circumstances accelerated their departure.

2 : to cause to move faster

accelerated his steps

; also : to cause to undergo acceleration

3 a : to hasten the progress or development of

accelerate our efforts

b : increase

accelerate food production

4 a : to enable (a student) to complete a course in less than usual time

b : to speed up (something, such as a course of study)

See accelerate defined for English-language learners

See accelerate defined for kids

Examples of accelerate in a Sentence

She stepped on the gas and the car accelerated.
The plane accelerated down the runway.
She stepped on the gas and accelerated the car.
He says that cutting taxes will help to accelerate economic growth.
The rate of economic growth has continued to accelerate.

Recent Examples of accelerate from the Web

Many variables are still uncertain about the tournament, including recent reports that FIFA might accelerate its intention to expand the number of teams from 32 to 48.

— hayden bird, BostonGlobe.com, "What to know about the World Cup title match," 14 July 2018
As building accelerates — more than 5 million square feet of office and retail space and thousands of housing units are planned — the Downtown Columbia Transportation Demand Management Plan presents ways to achieve a 15 percent reduction.

— kate magill, Howard County Times, "Howard County wants plans for limiting Columbia traffic as development continues," 12 July 2018
But experts said the court's opposition to organized labor's priorities are likely to intensify if Kavanaugh is confirmed, as business groups will accelerate their efforts to erode the clout of unions under a conservative court.

— jeff stein, chicagotribune.com, "From arbitration to discrimination: 3 ways Trump's Supreme Court pick could transform U.S. labor law," 10 July 2018
And Tesla’s accelerated rate of cashing in the credits could have consequences for the state of Nevada’s bottom line too.

— russ mitchell, latimes.com, "How Tesla uses cash from Nevada casinos to boost its bottom line," 24 June 2018
Sands took advantage, accelerating his motorcycle and allowing the world to whiz past him.

— stephen ruiz, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlandoan pursues boxing after motorcycle wreck ends basketball career," 23 June 2018
As the debate over prescription drug costs accelerates, a new report shows two pharmacy benefit managers reaped more than $223 million by working on behalf of Ohio Medicaid plans during a recent 12-month period.

— ed silverman, STAT, "Ohio peels back the curtain on a lucrative PBM profit center," 22 June 2018
The spread of e-bikes and e-scooters is in future likely to be further accelerated by ride-hailing giants keen to offer the full range of urban e-mobility options.

— The Economist, "How two-wheelers are weaving their way into urban transport," 21 June 2018
Talks in Santo Domingo resumed in 2017, but ended this year after the government accelerated the presidential election.

— andrew rosati, Bloomberg.com, "Venezuelan Autocrat Maduro Attempts a Public Relations Coup," 13 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'accelerate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of accelerate

borrowed from Latin accelerātus, past participle of accelerāre "to add speed to, hasten the occurrence of, go quickly," from ad- ad- + celerāre "to hasten," verbal derivative of celer "swift, speedy," perhaps going back to *keli-li-/ri-, derivative from the Indo-European base of Greek kélomai, kelésthai "urge, exhort," kelēt-, kélēs "swift horse, charger"

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1522

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year