as in confronts
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accosts
Verb
-
The dinner scene with Niall’s mum, Lori (Neve McIntosh), and Ruben’s mum, Maura (Marianne McIvor) — when Joanna confronts them over Ruben’s behaviour — is both chilling and cathartic.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
8 May 2026 -
During a particularly tense visit to his Florida home in her early 20s, Konkle confronts her dad about being inappropriate with her and other female friends.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Additional storm development is also possible across the Appalachians into the Mid-Atlantic as an upper-level system approaches from the west.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
As a courtroom showdown between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively approaches next month, lawyers for the former co-stars continued to hash out key pretrial issues Tuesday before a federal judge.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
28 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Accosts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accosts. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
