as in to confront
to approach and speak to (someone) often in an angry, aggressive, or unwanted way
He was accosted by peddlers selling touristy trinkets on the street. She was so famous that people would accost her on the street and ask for an autograph.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of accost
So when she’s accosted, what do people want to scream about?
—
Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 14 Feb. 2025
One day, while the band was on tour and riots were unfolding across the nation, the band was accosted by guardsmen while stopping for gas in a Michigan town under curfew.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 10 June 2025
But the Inland Empire lawmaker has forcefully denied the allegations, accusing officers of accosting her and detaining her against her will while at the hospital.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2025
The specimen, which represented the new, had the unexpected effect of making the original labiata seem old and therefore more appealing to those Victorians who felt accosted by modernity.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accost
Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 14 Feb. 2025
One day, while the band was on tour and riots were unfolding across the nation, the band was accosted by guardsmen while stopping for gas in a Michigan town under curfew.
—Andrew R. Chow, Time, 10 June 2025
But the Inland Empire lawmaker has forcefully denied the allegations, accusing officers of accosting her and detaining her against her will while at the hospital.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2025
The specimen, which represented the new, had the unexpected effect of making the original labiata seem old and therefore more appealing to those Victorians who felt accosted by modernity.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for accost
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accost
Verb
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When wage garnishment begins, companies will be confronted more directly with the severity of their workers’ financial situations, says MacPhetres.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
10 July 2025
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Participants who intentionally sought discomfort – from public speaking to confronting unfamiliar ideas – reported greater long-term growth, engagement, and meaning.—
ESMT Berlin,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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This wasn’t the first time a mayoral candidate approached another to drop out of the race.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
12 July 2025
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The Harley-Davidson Homecoming concerts at Veterans Park July 12 are proceeding as planned after the concerts July 11 were called off around 6 p.m. due to approaching storms.—
Piet Levy,
jsonline.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
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That was the first thing that came to my mind: A woman who disguises herself as a man, encounters a man who disguises himself as a woman.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
10 July 2025
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The meeting was the second time Rubio and Lavrov had encountered each other since the secretary took up the top job.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Accost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accost. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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