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)
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
After being integrated, this system will demonstrate its capabilities in live-fire tests – advancing the Department of War’s effort to evaluate and accelerate new, cost-effective strike capabilities for conventional deterrence.
—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
The open-source project has been used by millions of scientists in more than 190 countries, accelerating research into diseases previously considered intractable.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
Europe has been hungry for a homegrown alternative to Starlink, which dominates the sector — the service has been vital to Ukrainian troops in the war against Russia, and fears of a possible shutdown accelerated Europe’s space ambitions.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2025
But the need for cleanup will only accelerate, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accelerate
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Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025
The open-source project has been used by millions of scientists in more than 190 countries, accelerating research into diseases previously considered intractable.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
Europe has been hungry for a homegrown alternative to Starlink, which dominates the sector — the service has been vital to Ukrainian troops in the war against Russia, and fears of a possible shutdown accelerated Europe’s space ambitions.
—J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2025
But the need for cleanup will only accelerate, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
—Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accelerate
Cite this Entry
“Accelerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accelerate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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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