as in accumulates
to increase in amount as time passes
They accrued vacation time throughout the calendar year. A penny-pincher who is accruing a fortune by spending next to nothing.
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Recent Examples of accrues
If the top prospect accrues a full year of service-time and wins Rookie of the Year or finishes top three in MVP/Cy Young voting, the team gets an extra draft pick at the end of the first round.
—
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
But, unlike other cards with an APR, no interest accrues during the intro APR period.
—Liz Knueven, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
The penalty accrues up to a maximum of 25%.
—Kat Tretina, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
For every month that an apartment sits empty, interest accrues on the construction loan, the ability to refinance (with less expensive debt) decreases, and rental income can’t keep up with building expenses like utilities and insurance.
—Alicia Glen, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
Undersharing often isn’t—and its damage accrues slowly, in the form of distance, distrust, and missed chances to understand one another.
—Leslie John, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
The chart below, produced by KPMG economist Diane Swonk, shows the percent of gross domestic product represented by corporate profits, versus the amount that accrues to workers' wages.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
The penalty accrues up to a maximum of 25%.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The object accrues value through scarcity.
—Kian Bakhtiari, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026
But, unlike other cards with an APR, no interest accrues during the intro APR period.
—Liz Knueven, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
The penalty accrues up to a maximum of 25%.
—Kat Tretina, Sacbee.com, 27 Mar. 2026
For every month that an apartment sits empty, interest accrues on the construction loan, the ability to refinance (with less expensive debt) decreases, and rental income can’t keep up with building expenses like utilities and insurance.
—Alicia Glen, New York Daily News, 8 Mar. 2026
Undersharing often isn’t—and its damage accrues slowly, in the form of distance, distrust, and missed chances to understand one another.
—Leslie John, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
The chart below, produced by KPMG economist Diane Swonk, shows the percent of gross domestic product represented by corporate profits, versus the amount that accrues to workers' wages.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
The penalty accrues up to a maximum of 25%.
—Sarah Moore, Freep.com, 26 Jan. 2026
The object accrues value through scarcity.
—Kian Bakhtiari, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accrues
Verb
-
On a cruise ship, the tote carries sunscreen, a change of clothes for port days, market finds, a book, and whatever else the day accumulates.—
Amanda Eyre Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Apr. 2026
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First, sleep allows the brain’s glymphatic system to clean out waste, such as beta-amyloid, that accumulates during waking hours, similar to how the lymphatic system clears waste from the rest of the body, Hwang said.—
Kaitlin Sullivan,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This layout maximizes projectile acceleration while keeping the weapon compact and easy to handle.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The home's single glass door opens directly into its living room, which maximizes its utility with a sofa bed for guests, a storage unit, and a table.—
Adam Williams
April 04,
New Atlas,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Accrues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accrues. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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