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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Recent Examples of accosted
Taylor was attempting to join her castmates onstage after the 2025 movie won Best Picture, one of six awards bestowed on the dark comedy-action film, when the guard allegedly accosted her and Abdy, reported TMZ.
—
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
All of the laws attacking transgender people actually negatively affect all women… people getting accosted in bathrooms are cis women often.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
In one example, an on-duty Postal Service worker flipped off and verbally accosted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
—Houston Keene, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
He is constantly accosted by guests who want to hug him and take pictures with him.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
Impacciatore, squeezed into a skin-tight Power Rangers suit, performed an entire clowning routine where she’s accosted by abstract embodiments of various winter sports throughout history.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2026
The agent accosted and then fired on Routh, who fled in his car and was arrested a short time later.
—Greg Allen, NPR, 4 Feb. 2026
Several weeks later, when one of Crow’s staffers went to the facility, following a different but related set of protocols, two conservative members of the Aurora City Council accosted him.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
The majority being accosted and disappeared are Black, Muslim, Latinx, and Asian.
—Bao Phi, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
All of the laws attacking transgender people actually negatively affect all women… people getting accosted in bathrooms are cis women often.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
In one example, an on-duty Postal Service worker flipped off and verbally accosted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
—Houston Keene, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
He is constantly accosted by guests who want to hug him and take pictures with him.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
Impacciatore, squeezed into a skin-tight Power Rangers suit, performed an entire clowning routine where she’s accosted by abstract embodiments of various winter sports throughout history.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2026
The agent accosted and then fired on Routh, who fled in his car and was arrested a short time later.
—Greg Allen, NPR, 4 Feb. 2026
Several weeks later, when one of Crow’s staffers went to the facility, following a different but related set of protocols, two conservative members of the Aurora City Council accosted him.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
The majority being accosted and disappeared are Black, Muslim, Latinx, and Asian.
—Bao Phi, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accosted
Verb
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As Meraj worked, a young man dressed in legal garb (black suit, white shirt) approached and ordered tea.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Umpires have approached Brian Utley at baseball tournaments, confusing him for the older Chase Utley.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The prosecutor said Abril confronted the couple, at which point James MacEgan was shot and killed, before Abril grabbed MacEgan’s wife and pulled her into the creek.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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The sheriff said the child's father later confronted Duggar about the incidents on March 17 and the reality TV alum admitted to his actions to law enforcement in the city of Tontitown in northern Washington County, Arkansas.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Accosted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accosted. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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