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.

Artemis V and beyond will aim to accelerate the cadence of lunar landings to one every six months and continue to test technology to make lunar landings easier and cheaper.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

By encouraging collaboration between scientists, clinicians, and technology experts, the initiative aims to accelerate progress in addressing major health challenges.

From Science Daily • Apr. 12, 2026

Instead of costly doubles threatening to derail his progress, there was a flurry of birdies late in a sensational second round which helped McIlroy accelerate away from the chasing pack.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Shaken confidence in the Persian Gulf could accelerate that process.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

In Darwin's scheme, the rate of change of an organism was generally fixed, while the rate of natural selection could be amplified to accelerate evolution or dampened to decelerate it.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Vocabulary lists containing accelerate

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