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
In the cold and austere German winter (a far cry from Dakar’s physical and cultural warmth), an anxious Nourou acts up outside a hotel and is accosted by a Polish security guard, setting off a minor chain reaction in which Maja intervenes on his behalf, much to his chagrin.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Maybe the white-haired woman in the Phillies hoodie has done something more egregious than being outhustled for a home run ball in the stands at LoanDepot Park in Miami, and then accosting the dad who retrieved it and gave it to his son for the kid's birthday.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2025
When her mother leaves the room for a moment, she's accosted by a demonic entity that toys with her through funhouse-style reflections, creating this evil doppelganger of Judy.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
After the creatures show up, we’re left running (stark naked) through the labyrinthine walls of Hell, as main protagonist Aiden, before being accosted by a deranged cult back in the real world.
—Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accost
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 28 Sep. 2025
Maybe the white-haired woman in the Phillies hoodie has done something more egregious than being outhustled for a home run ball in the stands at LoanDepot Park in Miami, and then accosting the dad who retrieved it and gave it to his son for the kid's birthday.
—Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2025
When her mother leaves the room for a moment, she's accosted by a demonic entity that toys with her through funhouse-style reflections, creating this evil doppelganger of Judy.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
After the creatures show up, we’re left running (stark naked) through the labyrinthine walls of Hell, as main protagonist Aiden, before being accosted by a deranged cult back in the real world.
—Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accost
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accost
Verb
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Precedents for pardon Maidstone’s campaign follows similar efforts elsewhere in the United Kingdom to confront historical injustices.—
James Frater,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
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In communities of all kinds, voters in their 20s and 30s are confronting a financial reality of rising costs, mounting debt and minimal wage growth.—
Elena Moore,
NPR,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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More than 735,000 people were evacuated in Cuba as Melissa approached, according to President Miguel Díaz-Canel, while in the Bahamas, preliminary estimates show 1,485 residents were evacuated before all flights were suspended ahead of the approaching storm.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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Sanchez, who was in Indianapolis for a Fox Sports appearance, was caught on video approaching the driver’s door of a large truck by a nearby hotel, according to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by EW.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Following the spiritual moment, the King and Queen encountered a group of schoolchildren from the local primary school, Scuola Primaria San Paolo - Istituto Figlie di Cristo, who were waiting to greet them outside the Papal Basilica.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
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These clogs are technically designed as recovery shoes for long-distance runners—Kaufman first encountered them in a running store in Madison, Wisconsin.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Accost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accost. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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