as in to confront
to approach and speak to (someone) often in an angry, aggressive, or unwanted way
He was accosted by peddlers selling touristy trinkets on the street. She was so famous that people would accost her on the street and ask for an autograph.
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Recent Examples of accost
At one point during the dizzying saga, the actor is accosted by two fans at a grocery store who drastically overshare about how much his work means to them.
—
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Security officials accost people on the street and insist upon examining their smartphones, or even turn up unannounced at homes with the same demand, says Stirling.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 1 Apr. 2026
When this writer foolishly forgot her iPods inside the Palais, the 15-minute walk to fetch them — during which I was almost toppled over by wind and accosted by sleet — was enough to make her hole up in her hotel room for the rest of the day.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
In one of those, a group of young Israeli soldiers accost Salim and Noor after the military unexpectedly pushes up the Palestinians’ curfew.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accost
Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026
Security officials accost people on the street and insist upon examining their smartphones, or even turn up unannounced at homes with the same demand, says Stirling.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 1 Apr. 2026
When this writer foolishly forgot her iPods inside the Palais, the 15-minute walk to fetch them — during which I was almost toppled over by wind and accosted by sleet — was enough to make her hole up in her hotel room for the rest of the day.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
In one of those, a group of young Israeli soldiers accost Salim and Noor after the military unexpectedly pushes up the Palestinians’ curfew.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accost
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accost
Verb
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The man then came out and was aggressively confronted by the bear as well.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
14 June 2026
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Sakahara later told his son he’d been beaten and kicked and only buckled after officers began to direct the threats at people around him, said Koji, who had confronted his father about his confession.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Studios, production companies and distributors regularly approach Promise, a generative AI company, to bring AI into their productions, and each arrives with its own usage guidelines, said the company’s president, Jamie Byrne.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
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Authorities said Reyes repeatedly approached the girl and asked for her phone number.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
19 June 2026
Verb
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The film follows a young woman who, visited by visions of her future self, encounters a stranger whose appearance reshapes the course of her evening – and possibly her life.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
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Rather than viewed from behind ropes or glass, guests encounter the art here organically.—
Sarah Kingdom,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Accost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accost. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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