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 On July 29, the Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $58 billion contract to accelerate manufacturing. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026 Secretary-General António Guterres warned that AI could accelerate human development while threatening democratic institutions and social stability if left ungoverned. — Stephen Pitt-Walker, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026 Every car depends on those same four contact patches, whether accelerating onto a straightaway at Road Atlanta or braking for traffic on I-285. — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 6 Nov. 2026 That’s crumbling as AI and many other technologies develop, and AI is accelerating it. — ABC News, 5 Nov. 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
  • Wisconsin Democrat David Crowley defeated a Republican with close ties to Trump on Tuesday, rising from a childhood in one of the nation's poorest neighborhoods to become the first Black person to lead the battleground state.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The Democrat went on to represent the area in Congress, rising to become Democratic caucus chair from 2013 to 2017.
    — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 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
  • The original tracklist is augmented by a full recording of the band’s 1977 show at Oakland Coliseum Arena, filmed by teen bootlegger Reinhard Hohlwein.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The governor also urged national lawmakers to pass a federal film and television incentive, which could augment states’ efforts to bolster local production.
    — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of augment
Verb
  • As debt issuance volumes swell, investors may demand higher yields, forcing corporations to offer elevated interest rates to attract buyers for new bonds.
    — , CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The supersite itself saw waits swell beyond two hours, with lines by late afternoon starting 2½ blocks away.
    — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of swell
Verb
  • Only his vote can hasten the abolition of slavery who asserts his own freedom by his vote.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic seems not only to have hastened the arrival of generative AI, but also to keep pushing release dates forward to this day.
    — Sigal Samuel, Vox, 27 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 7 Nov. 2026.

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