as in approaching
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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 accosting
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
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
Neal Rubin, Freep.com, 10 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accosting
Verb
-
Footage of the incidents show agents swarming vehicles, smashing windows and trying to pry open car doors within seconds of approaching drivers.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The emergency protocol was alerted when Flight 1853 was already approaching its intended designation at Barcelona-El Prat Airport from Istanbul.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Demonstrators were confronting a large group of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building when an object was thrown at officials.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
16 Jan. 2026
-
For a mayor confronting rising rents, strained public transit, public safety concerns, and looming budget pressures, inserting himself into a volatile geopolitical dispute appears, at best, a distraction from the immediate work of governing.—
Francisco Marte,
New York Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Accosting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accosting. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
