accreted; accreting
: to grow or become attached by accretion
: to cause to adhere or become attached
also
: accumulate
Synonyms
Examples of accrete in a Sentence
silt accreting at the mouth of the river over time
Recent Examples on the Web
Sherman works alone, in a Tribeca studio or in a converted barn on her property in East Hampton, which are now chockablock with wigs, costumes, props, and prostheses, accreted over years of rummaging.
—
Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2024
Precedent mattered to her, as did the expectations that accreted around Court rulings.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 3 Dec. 2023
The songs had accreted parts over decades, with material from Gabriel’s longtime band; from the polymorphous musician Brian Eno; from Swedish and South African choirs; from orchestral arrangements; and from Gabriel’s library of samples and sessions.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Some of the fun facts: the location of modern Kamchatka arc is related to islands accreting to the Peninsula in the last 7 million years.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2010
The Earth, once thought to have slowly accreted over 100 million years, actually took less than three, the paper says.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2023
The gravity was great enough that whenever their orbits brought them near another object, that object was either drawn in and accreted through the pull of gravity or flung away as its orbit was changed.
—Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2016
The new photo further exposes a larger, darker central region surrounded by bright accreting gas in a ring-like shape.
—Ariana Garcia, Chron, 14 Apr. 2023
Any dust and gas not accreted onto rocks by then is lost, burned in the star or dispersed in space, and no more material for planet building is available.
—Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2016
Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, 20 Feb. 2024
Precedent mattered to her, as did the expectations that accreted around Court rulings.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 3 Dec. 2023
The songs had accreted parts over decades, with material from Gabriel’s longtime band; from the polymorphous musician Brian Eno; from Swedish and South African choirs; from orchestral arrangements; and from Gabriel’s library of samples and sessions.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Some of the fun facts: the location of modern Kamchatka arc is related to islands accreting to the Peninsula in the last 7 million years.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2010
The Earth, once thought to have slowly accreted over 100 million years, actually took less than three, the paper says.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 16 June 2023
The gravity was great enough that whenever their orbits brought them near another object, that object was either drawn in and accreted through the pull of gravity or flung away as its orbit was changed.
—Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2016
The new photo further exposes a larger, darker central region surrounded by bright accreting gas in a ring-like shape.
—Ariana Garcia, Chron, 14 Apr. 2023
Any dust and gas not accreted onto rocks by then is lost, burned in the star or dispersed in space, and no more material for planet building is available.
—Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2016
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accrete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near accrete
Cite this Entry
“Accrete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accrete. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
accrete
verb
ac·crete
ə-ˈkrēt 
accreted; accreting
: to grow or become attached by accretion
: to cause to adhere or become attached
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