accelerate

[ak-sel-uh-reyt] / ækˈsɛl əˌreɪt /

VERB

increase speed, timing

Synonyms

STRONGEST

advance expedite further hasten open up quicken spur step up stimulate

STRONG

drive dust forward gun hurry impel precipitate railroad rev roll tool

WEAK

fire up hammer on lay a patch lay rubber make tracks nail it peel rubber put on afterburners put pedal to metal rev up speed up step on the gas

Antonyms

STRONGEST

block cease check delay discourage halt hinder slow stop

STRONG

dissuade repress wait

WEAK

decelerate defer impede postpone retard slow down

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Despite the near-term earnings hit, Chief Executive Robert Ford said the Exact Sciences acquisition will accelerate Abbott’s long-term sales growth rate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

He predicts the stock could be “range-bound” until the company is able to accelerate its Azure growth or further drive Copilot adoption.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

Google’s Gemini models and Vertex AI will be embedded directly into Avid’s processes, offering customers a chance to accelerate their editing time.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

As we made haste to Tehran, Pakistan's Army Chief, Field Marshall Asim Munir, landed in the capital to try to accelerate mediation efforts and narrow the gaps on these and other issues.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Sputnik weighed 184 pounds, and obviously required a very large rocket to accelerate this mass to a sufficient speed to achieve orbit.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins

Vocabulary lists containing accelerate

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

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Holes

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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 2

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