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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 city was already planning to replace the tanks within the next three fiscal years, but the leaks forced officials to accelerate that timetable. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026 As adoption accelerates, leaders should be concerned with how their models are built and governed. — Channing Ferrer, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Earlier Thursday, Devin Parra, FIU’s assistant dean of students and director of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity, acknowledged that news coverage accelerated the disciplinary process. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026 Growth from Depop, accelerating GMV, and raised full-year guidance gave investors further confidence in eBay's strategy. — Michelle Fox,fred Imbert, CNBC, 29 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
  • Some studies also suggest moving commuting times nearer to dusk in the fall increases the risk of vehicle collisions with deer and other wildlife, which are more active around sunset.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Advance voting has also increased more than 30% from the same point four years ago in Maine, Michigan, North Carolina and Kansas, states with competitive Senate races.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of increase
Verb
  • Police detained Runa at the care home and took her away before her mother, who had rushed back to the facility upon hearing the news, had a chance to see her, Yoko recalled.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Hawkins, who entered the game leading the nation with 14 rushing TDs, also had scoring runs of 2 and 36 yards.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of rush
Verb
  • The company now plans to expand testing before integrating the engine into a flight vehicle.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Ratan believes this way of expanding is a viable option for his future.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of expand
Verb
  • That comes against a backdrop of rising borrowing costs globally.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The investment forms part of a broader plan to spend $8 billion to $9 billion through 2030 to meet rising demand for munitions.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of rise
Verb
  • The Heat continued that surge in the third quarter, opening the second half on a 30-14 run to push its lead up to 23 points before entering the fourth quarter with a 21-point advantage.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2026
  • James, always an exacting rhythmic engineer, was now dividing the beat into fragments tiny enough to push at the very edge of rhythm itself.
    — Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of push
Verb
  • Legally, up to one percent of additives are allowed to be used without being disclosed to augment color and flavor, but nowadays many tequila drinkers are specifically seeking out additive-free expressions.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The incoming Congress must act to preserve and augment funding for pediatric care.
    — Jonathan E. Kohler, STAT, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of augment
Verb
  • Then the shuttle appears on screen, the music swells and the room shakes with the tearing, rumbling force of a launch.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The team said Tuesday morning that two-time defensive player of the year Kawhi Leonard will be re-evaluated in a week due to swelling in his left knee.
    — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • Machado gave Trump her Nobel medal earlier this year in what appeared to be a push to hasten Venezuela's democratic transition.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 26 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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