ACCELERATE Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

accelerate

verb

ik-ˈse-lə-ˌrāt

Definition of accelerate

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

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

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 Thomases and Keller will accelerate Talm’s growth and broaden its reach, including internationally. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026 Inflation has accelerated since the war with Iran began, and central bankers are watching to determine whether price pressures are spreading through the economy. — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026 Turbine cancellations haven't materialized, and order growth has actually accelerated in some states considering data center moratoriums, reinforcing our confidence in the long-term power demand story. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026 The Stargazer accelerates twice… and that changes the timing. — Matt Von Hippel, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accelerate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for accelerate

Verb

The incidence of colorectal cancer in particular has increased among younger people in recent years, other studies have found.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
Fall travel is increasing even to destinations in Asia, where the window between September and November is already the peak season.

— Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of increase

Verb

The Bears ranked 27th last season in defensive rushing success and 29th in opponents’ yards before contact.

— Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
The 6-foot, 222-pound junior found the end zone twice and rushed for 266 yards against FSU, the most in the long-standing series, for a bright spot to cap an otherwise dismal 2025.

— Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of rush

Verb

In the 1980s some politicians and activists expanded their definitions to include Asian and African groups.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Data center demand meets nuclear power The agreement comes as Google expands its Finnish infrastructure, including its data center in Hamina.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of expand

Verb

In recent weeks, new cases and deaths have declined in Ituri province, the outbreak's epicenter, but risen sharply in neighboring North Kivu and Haut-Uele, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said at a weekly briefing.

— JEAN-YVES KAMALE, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
Since late July, diesel prices have been rising higher and faster overall than the cost of regular unleaded gas.

— Steve Kopack, NBC news, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of rise

Verb

There was skepticism about Vizzina, who threw only 105 passes in his first three years at Clemson and then was pushed by true freshman Tait Reynolds for the starting role in preseason camp.

— Antonio Morales, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
The August rally pushed sugar futures ahead of the S&P 500 on a year-to-date basis.

— Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of push

Verb

Fashion, after all, has the power to augment the public’s perception of a public figure.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 9 Sep. 2026
Bathed in the shifting light from the screen, the orchestra’s movements and playing functioned like a second drama unfolding onstage, augmenting and mirroring the original film.

— Caitlin White, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of augment

Verb

The ink came from the buds of oak leaves, swollen to the size of musket balls by the eggs of wasps.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
From book clubs to run clubs and a swelling calendar of brand events, online communities are spilling into physical spaces — and then returning to Instagram to document them.

— Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of swell

Verb

Warmer temperatures may have hastened the collapse that led to Nepal’s deadly flooding, with melting snow able to seep into cracks in the glacier and mountain rocks, weakening them, Shugar said.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Clinton deployed the threat of withholding billions in aid to nix the Hanke plan, and a weak rupiah hastened Suharto’s departure months later.

— Shawn Tully, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of hasten

Browse Nearby Words

acceding (to)

accelerate

accelerated

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Style

“Accelerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accelerate. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of accelerate

verb

Example Sentences

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