accreting

present participle of accrete
as in accumulating
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass silt accreting at the mouth of the river over time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 accreting The planet is accreting matter at a distance of 57 times the distance between Earth and the sun, or almost twice the distance between Neptune and our star. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Sep. 2026 And thoroughly mixed across space before accreting into meteorites. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026 The protagonists are ultimately constructed like robots, accreting no more experiences or traits or memories than they’re programmed to have. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026 Instruments drift in and out, sometimes accreting into subtle polyrhythms or harmonies, and other times lightly undergirding Ederra’s gorgeous runs. — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026 For the first few billion years of cosmic history, galaxies formed and grew by accreting more and more material from the intergalactic medium, as well as by merging together to form larger, more mature galaxies. — Big Think, 20 Feb. 2026 Eventually the star stops accreting matter, leaving the disk in orbit around it. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accreting
accumulating
Verb
  • The point is to allow young people to enter the workforce more quickly, avoid unnecessary costs, and continue accumulating skills over time.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Warmer temperatures associated with El Niño can mean more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow at lower elevations, while colder, higher elevations remain more likely to see accumulating snow.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Accreting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accreting. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster