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.

Any serious solar geoengineering project is probably decades away, but perhaps that’s a good reason to accelerate development now.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

He said full-year sales growth is expected to be 4% to 8% in fiscal 2026, then accelerate to 10% to 12% in fiscal 2027.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

The deal will also accelerate the company’s expansion into nephrology, which began in late 2024 with the acquisition of Human Immunology Biosciences.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

The Commerce Department agreed to accelerate approvals for those upgrades, they said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The phenomenon by which protons keep time with the oscillator even as they accelerate came to be known as “resonance.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

accelerate

Example Sentences

Related Words