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.

If that happens, selling can be expected to accelerate.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

“We must accelerate the shift to homegrown clean energies,” said Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, in late April.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

L3Harris LHX -1.69%decrease; red down pointing triangle Technologies raised its full-year outlook after logging higher profit and revenue in the first quarter, as demand for weapons continued to accelerate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

If that happens, selling can be expected to accelerate.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 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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