accosted

past tense of accost
as in approached
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of accosted At half-time of the mostly engrossing, controversial Manchester derby on Sunday, Marc Guehi was accosted by a Sky Sports reporter and asked a few questions. Nick Miller, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Osama, donning his bulletproof blue press jacket and armed with his camera, is accosted by a woman wailing that 200 of her neighbors are gone. Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 According to a police affidavit, Sanchez accosted Perry Tole after the Indiana resident had backed his truck into the loading docks of a downtown Indianapolis hotel. Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 In 1982, walking through a terminal at Newark International Airport in New Jersey, the Kissingers were accosted by Ellen Kaplan, a follower of Lyndon LaRouche, a cult leader with both Marxist and right-wing associations. Robert D. McFadden, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2026 Two of the men were accosted at a local restaurant, and they’ve also been refused service in town, Cox said. Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026 In that incident, the victim was accosted by two men who demanded valuables. Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 31 May 2026 In previous years, the 31-year-old originally from Chicago might have lashed back when accosted on the ice. Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accosted
Verb
  • As the Houthis approached the Red Sea, the area was defended by several armed formations that were nominally controlled by the Saudis.
    Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The Ryan Field designers approached the project with a certain sophistication.
    Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Police say the suspect, who remains unidentified as of publication, confronted the man and shot him at least once before leaving.
    Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The person upstairs came down, confronted the man involved in the disturbance and shot him at least once, according to the release.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Accosted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accosted. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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