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
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
That penalty is 5% of the unpaid tax amount for each month or partial month that the return is late, and accrues up to a maximum of 25%.
—Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 29 Jan. 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
The online ministry boasts 590,000 YouTube subscribers and regularly accrues more than a million hits on its videos.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 12 Jan. 2026
The report says the shift reflects a fundamental reordering of where value accrues in the region’s screen economy.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
And that kind of flaw, sadly, always accrues to the actors.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
The amount of vacation pay could be increased based on future pay raises or if the fire chief accrues more vacation time, the mayor said.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 1 Oct. 2025
Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
That penalty is 5% of the unpaid tax amount for each month or partial month that the return is late, and accrues up to a maximum of 25%.
—Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 29 Jan. 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
The online ministry boasts 590,000 YouTube subscribers and regularly accrues more than a million hits on its videos.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 12 Jan. 2026
The report says the shift reflects a fundamental reordering of where value accrues in the region’s screen economy.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
And that kind of flaw, sadly, always accrues to the actors.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025
The amount of vacation pay could be increased based on future pay raises or if the fire chief accrues more vacation time, the mayor said.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accrues
Verb
-
Much of what falls and accumulates will likely melt by the end of the day.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
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Shawnee Mountain, Pennsylvania Located in the Poconos, where snow accumulates quickly and often, Shawnee Mountain offers wide, groomed slopes that are just what the doctor ordered for senior skiers.—
Roger Sands,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Its Trailpeak tent is still slim and ultralight but offers more living space by flipping to the side to open up a cube-like base camp that maximizes headroom and interior volume.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 Feb. 2026
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According to the researchers at Zhejiang University in China, this new device maximizes lithium yield from seawater while simultaneously desalinating water.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Accrues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accrues. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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