Synonyms of accelerate

accelerate 1 of 2

verb (1)

ik-ˈse-lə-ˌrāt 

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

• increase
• rise
• expand
• swell
• climb
• intensify
• multiply
• accumulate
• wax
• proliferate
• escalate
• spread
• roll up
• gain
• enlarge
• snowball
• mount
• surge
• jump
• boom
• balloon
• appreciate
• burgeon
• mushroom
• heighten
• build up
• bourgeon
• skyrocket
• rocket
• redouble
• inflate
• peak
• bulk
• distend
• puff (up)
• blow up
• crest
• crescendo

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decrease
• diminish
• lessen
• recede
• contract
• wane
• dwindle

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

• rush
• push
• hasten
• encourage
• quicken
• hurry
• urge
• facilitate
• speed (up)
• fast-track
• drive
• whisk
• propel
• spur
• race
• expedite
• bundle
• aid
• stir
• prod
• goad
• ease
• dispatch

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• brake
• decelerate
• retard
• slow (down)
• impede
• hinder
• restrain
• delay
• interfere (with)
• hamper
• tie up
• encumber
• stop
• hold back
• hobble
• rein (in)
• hold up
• stay
• check
• arrest
• stall
• shackle
• fetter
• still
• trammel
• manacle

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

• increase
• expand
• augment
• boost
• extend
• raise
• multiply
• enhance
• intensify
• amplify
• maximize
• reinforce
• escalate
• add (to)
• strengthen
• enlarge
• swell
• aggrandize
• stoke
• compound
• build up
• pump up
• up
• develop
• prolong
• supplement
• jump
• lengthen
• skyrocket
• heighten
• supersize
• hype
• inflate
• complement
• spike
• dilate
• draw out
• stretch
• elongate
• protract
• boom
• distend
• bump (up)
• accumulate
• flesh (out)
• ratchet (up)
• magnify
• blow up
• reenforce
• collect
• amass
• beef (up)
• rachet (up)
• follow up
• parlay

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reduce
• decrease
• diminish
• lessen
• abate
• lower
• dwindle
• downsize
• shorten
• curtail
• subtract (from)
• abridge
• abbreviate
• compress
• minify
• de-escalate
• constrict
• condense
• contract
• cut back
• retrench

accelerating

2 of 2

verb (2)

present participle of accelerate

1

as in increasing

to become greater in size, extent, volume, amount, or number

toy purchases accelerate dramatically during the Christmas season

Synonyms & Similar Words

• increasing
• rising
• expanding
• swelling
• climbing
• multiplying
• intensifying
• waxing
• accumulating
• proliferating
• escalating
• spreading
• snowballing
• mushrooming
• surging
• ballooning
• booming
• mounting
• enlarging
• gaining
• burgeoning
• jumping
• rolling up
• appreciating
• bourgeoning
• heightening
• skyrocketing
• building up
• rocketing
• peaking
• redoubling
• inflating
• distending
• puffing (up)
• cresting
• bulking
• crescendoing
• blowing up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decreasing
• diminishing
• contracting
• lessening
• receding
• waning
• dwindling

2

as in rushing

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

• rushing
• pushing
• hastening
• quickening
• hurrying
• encouraging
• urging
• driving
• speeding (up)
• bundling
• facilitating
• whisking
• fast-tracking
• spurring
• propelling
• racing
• aiding
• expediting
• stirring
• prodding
• goading
• dispatching
• easing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• decelerating
• braking
• retarding
• slowing (down)
• delaying
• impeding
• restraining
• hindering
• interfering (with)
• hampering
• stopping
• holding back
• hobbling
• encumbering
• tying up
• checking
• holding up
• staying
• stalling
• arresting
• reining (in)
• shackling
• fettering
• tieing up
• trammelling
• manacling
• stilling
• trammeling

3

as in expanding

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

• increasing
• expanding
• boosting
• augmenting
• multiplying
• raising
• extending
• enhancing
• intensifying
• escalating
• amplifying
• swelling
• reinforcing
• enlarging
• maximizing
• strengthening
• adding (to)
• compounding
• stoking
• upping
• hyping
• aggrandizing
• pumping up
• building up
• supersizing
• skyrocketing
• supplementing
• developing
• jumping
• spiking
• lengthening
• booming
• prolonging
• heightening
• inflating
• stretching
• elongating
• dilating
• complementing
• bumping (up)
• distending
• accumulating
• drawing out
• protracting
• ratcheting (up)
• reenforcing
• collecting
• blowing up
• magnifying
• amassing
• fleshing (out)
• racheting (up)
• beefing (up)
• following up
• parlaying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reducing
• decreasing
• diminishing
• lowering
• lessening
• downsizing
• dwindling
• subtracting (from)
• abating
• curtailing
• shortening
• abridging
• contracting
• compressing
• abbreviating
• minifying
• condensing
• de-escalating
• constricting
• retrenching
• cutting back

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of accelerate

Verb

The attack on Iran will have other ramifications beyond Trump’s dealmaking with Kim Jong Un. Military cooperation between North Korea and Iran, dating back to the 1980s and including arms transfers from North Korea to Iran, will likely accelerate. —Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025

Iran’s nuclear program accelerated after the breakdown of the 2015 nuclear agreement which halted international inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities. —Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025

Verb

Hiring surged in March, blowing past economists' expectations and accelerating job growth from the previous month, government data last week showed. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2025

Meanwhile, hiring surged in March, blowing past economists' expectations and accelerating job growth from the previous month. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2025