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.

Chief Executive Josh Charlesworth said the doughnut chain remains on track to accelerate growth later this year, pointing to continued retail expansion and strong consumer engagement.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

The Eels of Steel scheme, funded by Natural England, aims to accelerate the recovery of the type of fish in the Tees catchment.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Blue Origin carried out testing through a reimbursable Space Act Agreement with NASA, using agency facilities and expertise to accelerate development.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

“Our creative and operational momentum drove strong quarterly results, and we continue to expect growth to accelerate in the second half of the fiscal year,” D’Amaro wrote in a letter to shareholders.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

The pace of training seemed to accelerate in our last two weeks.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

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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