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.

That process is under way and will accelerate after the Champions League final, with a will from all parties to have the new contract tied up before next season.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

He’ll be starting a team focused on using Claude to accelerate pretraining research.

From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026

And the rise of physical AI applications such as humanoid robots promises to accelerate demand for the rare earth oxides used in everything from Apple iPhones to fighter jets.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

If oil remains around $150 a barrel for the rest of the year, inflation will accelerate, while key industries see their supply chains derailed.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Had he been pondering the question of how to accelerate particles for a long time, or did the concept that was to guide his life’s work occur to him on the spot?

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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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