1
as in to emphasize
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on
let's accentuate the saxophones during this piece by having the sax players stand up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to intensify
to make markedly greater in measure or degree
the foul weather merely accentuated my feelings of depression
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to reinforce
to make more apparent
unfortunately, the new bedspread just accentuates the dinginess of the curtains behind the bed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of accentuate
This hairstyle is often used to accentuate and frame the face, highlighting one’s natural features.
—
Essence, 21 Oct. 2025
Pair it with a belt and matching earrings to complete the look, or opt for a long necklace to accentuate the neckline with an understated style.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
The collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1991, only accentuated their hardships.
—Julia Ioffe, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
With far less high-end talent than previous iterations, these new-look Celtics hope to accentuate their strengths and mask their weaknesses by pushing the pace on offense and upping the aggressiveness on defense.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accentuate
Essence, 21 Oct. 2025
Pair it with a belt and matching earrings to complete the look, or opt for a long necklace to accentuate the neckline with an understated style.
—Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025
The collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1991, only accentuated their hardships.
—Julia Ioffe, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2025
With far less high-end talent than previous iterations, these new-look Celtics hope to accentuate their strengths and mask their weaknesses by pushing the pace on offense and upping the aggressiveness on defense.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accentuate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accentuate
Verb
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The Democrats running for governor in Virginia and New Jersey are emphasizing cost-of-living issues and other concerns that continue to be top of mind for voters, and tying those issues to Trump.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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Kusano, via video message, emphasized her happiness at dedicating time to research for her next project.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Melissa rapidly intensified, jumping from a 70 mph tropical storm on Saturday morning to a 140 mph Category 4 hurricane Sunday morning.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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The 2023 edition opened a month later as Israel intensified its bombing campaign on Gaza, which has since killed more than 67,000 people, injured another 170,000 and razed the Palestinian territory to the ground, prompting accusations of genocide, which Israel has strongly rejected.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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China’s most powerful Communist leader in decades has built a reputation reinforced by state media during his 12-year rule as a serious and steady hand.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
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Completing each task gives your brain a small reward, reinforcing calm and focus when the kitchen gets hectic.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Both Mamdani and Cuomo have highlighted their opposition to the President on the campaign trail.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
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The research team also highlighted that the system passed all tests.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Far from creating a cold, mechanical work experience, AI collaboration enhanced positive emotions in ways that rival human teamwork itself.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
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Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Kessler and Berman have also stressed there isn’t case precedent for the application of Title IX to the allocation of damages in an antitrust case.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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In a series of videos and during a press conference, the group emphasized the contributions of immigrants to South Florida, called on common-sense immigration reform that secures borders but guarantees compassionate treatment of immigrants, and stressed the constitutional right to due process.—
Syra Ortiz Blanes,
Miami Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That imprimatur greatly heightens their appeal.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
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Such a move would also fuel distrust between the US and China and heighten their nuclear arms rivalry, analysts said.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Japan, one of the world’s most homogeneous nations, faces deepening labor shortages as its birth rate plummets and its population ages.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Using fractional diffusion theory, the research deepens understanding of transient charging behaviors in complex materials, which is key to designing high-performance components used for advanced engineering electrochemical systems in general.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Accentuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accentuate. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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