Word
accelerate
Meanings
to increase speed; to go faster
to make a process or development happen more quickly
Definition
To accelerate means to increase speed or make something happen faster.
To accelerate is to speed up, either by moving faster or by causing a process to progress more quickly. It can describe a vehicle gaining speed, a person increasing their pace, or an action that makes change happen sooner. In formal contexts, it often suggests a noticeable or deliberate increase in rate.
Examples
- I had to accelerate to merge safely into the fast-moving traffic.
- You can accelerate your progress by setting weekly goals and reviewing your mistakes.
- He watched the deadline accelerate the team’s decision-making, for better or worse.
- She used automation to accelerate the approval workflow without sacrificing accuracy.
- They tried to accelerate the rollout, but unexpected delays forced them to adjust the schedule.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse "accelerate" with "accumulate" and use it incorrectly to mean "collect" rather than "speed up."
More at C1 level
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More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.