accelerate
verb
ac·cel·er·ate
ik-ˈse-lə-ˌrāt 
ak-
accelerated; accelerating
1
: to move faster : to gain speed
The car slowly accelerated.
The pace of change has accelerated in recent months.
2
: to progress from grade to grade more rapidly than usual : to follow a speeded-up educational program
1
: to bring about at an earlier time
Circumstances accelerated their departure.
2
: to cause to move faster
accelerated his steps
also
: to cause to undergo acceleration
3
a
: to hasten the progress or development of
accelerate our efforts
b
: increase
accelerate food production
4
a
: to enable (a student) to complete a course in less than usual time
b
: to speed up (something, such as a course of study)
Synonyms
Examples of accelerate in a Sentence
She stepped on the gas and the car accelerated.
The plane accelerated down the runway.
She stepped on the gas and accelerated the car.
He says that cutting taxes will help to accelerate economic growth.
The rate of economic growth has continued to accelerate.
Recent Examples on the Web
But when compared to last year’s unreliable defense that failed to close out numerous close games, much less help accelerate blowouts, what the unit is doing this year is a breath of fresh air in Boulder.
—
Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
The technology is also transforming medical imaging and has been helpful in accelerating the drug discovery process.
—Nir Eisikovits, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
Talks host Azerbaijan has lobbied governments to accelerate their move to clean energy while touting gas as a transition fuel.
—Reuters, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Canopy Growth continues to focus on its strategy to accelerate entry into the U.S. cannabis market through Canopy USA, LLC, and has reported various balance sheet deleveraging initiatives.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for accelerate 
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Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
The technology is also transforming medical imaging and has been helpful in accelerating the drug discovery process.
—Nir Eisikovits, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
Talks host Azerbaijan has lobbied governments to accelerate their move to clean energy while touting gas as a transition fuel.
—Reuters, NBC News, 12 Nov. 2024
Canopy Growth continues to focus on its strategy to accelerate entry into the U.S. cannabis market through Canopy USA, LLC, and has reported various balance sheet deleveraging initiatives.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for accelerate
Dictionary Entries Near accelerate
Cite this Entry
“Accelerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accelerate. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
accelerate
verb
ac·cel·er·ate
ik-ˈsel-ə-ˌrāt
ak-
accelerated; accelerating
1
: to bring about earlier
accelerated our departure
2
: to move or cause to move faster
accelerative
adjective
-ˌrāt-iv
Medical Definition
accelerate
verb
ac·cel·er·ate
ik-ˈsel-ə-ˌrāt, ak-
accelerated; accelerating
: to cause to move faster or speed up
accelerated speech and motor activity in manic patients
also
: to cause to undergo acceleration
: to move faster : gain speed
Legal Definition
accelerate
verb
ac·cel·er·ate
accelerated; accelerating
: to bring about at an earlier time: as
a
: to advance (the maturity date of a security agreement) so that payment of the debt in full is due immediately see also acceleration clause
b
: to cause (a future interest in property) to vest by removing the preceding interests (as by failure or premature termination)
: to enforce an acceleration clause
held that the creditor's right to accelerate was suspended—J. J. White and R. S. Summers
J. J. White and R. S. Summers
acceleration
noun
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