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.

They deliver powerful bursts of thrust that allow spacecraft to quickly accelerate, decelerate, climb, descend, or change position.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said that the government had to accelerate progress.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

“This should really accelerate the production of new housing in Los Angeles and beyond.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

The Bank of Japan is widely expected to raise interest rates this month to mitigate the burden of rising costs as policymakers grow more worried that the fallout from the conflict will accelerate underlying inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

Similarly with spaceships: no matter how much rocket power they have, they can’t accelerate beyond the speed of light.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

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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