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
The trailer features minimal dialogue, and Farrell, 49, is seen running through the streets and accosting casino employees at one point.
—
Jack Smart, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Protesters accosted and insulted individual attendees.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2025
My wife has had two instances of being threatened and accosted on the streets by crazed individuals.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2025
Coristine and a woman were standing next to their car on Swann Street, several blocks from Logan Circle, when they were allegedly accosted by the multiple suspects, according to police.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accost
Jack Smart, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Protesters accosted and insulted individual attendees.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2025
My wife has had two instances of being threatened and accosted on the streets by crazed individuals.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 10 Aug. 2025
Coristine and a woman were standing next to their car on Swann Street, several blocks from Logan Circle, when they were allegedly accosted by the multiple suspects, according to police.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accost
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accost
Verb
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These religious leaders are confronting a wave of violence.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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On April 19, dental surgeon Akintunde Bowden, 41, was shot and killed at his Brown Deer apartment complex after confronting a neighbor about noise.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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If the thought of budgeting gives you a headache, there's another way to approach managing your money without tracking every expense or obsessing over spreadsheets.—
Andreina Rodriguez,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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Nozawa approached the decor with the goal of softening the architecture's hard lines and surfaces, while channeling the color palette of the building materials.—
Monika Biegler Eyers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Phillies play reliever roulette Righty David Robertson entered when Cristopher Sánchez encountered trouble in the sixth, putting away pinch hitter Max Muncy, a lefty batter.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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There he was flabbergasted to discover video footage of a woman wearing a dark Balenciaga sack dress on the streets of Paris in the ’50s, encountering curiosity and visible scorn.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Accost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accost. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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