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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of accost
The Bohemian Rhapsody star reflected on being accosted by police in a new interview.
—
Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
The male and female victims were accosted by more than a dozen armed people and taken against their will to another unit inside the same complex, Chamberlain said.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
Brian Thompson, 50, was accosted outside of the Hilton Hotel in midtown, and later pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital.
—Brooke Seipel, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Capitol Police arrested a man Tuesday night and charged him with assaulting a government official after Rep. Nancy Mace reported that she had been accosted on the U.S. Capitol grounds.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for accost 
Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 18 Jan. 2025
The male and female victims were accosted by more than a dozen armed people and taken against their will to another unit inside the same complex, Chamberlain said.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
Brian Thompson, 50, was accosted outside of the Hilton Hotel in midtown, and later pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital.
—Brooke Seipel, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Capitol Police arrested a man Tuesday night and charged him with assaulting a government official after Rep. Nancy Mace reported that she had been accosted on the U.S. Capitol grounds.
—Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for accost
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accost
Verb
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On the internet, you are confronted with different perspectives on reality.—
Georg Szalai,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Feb. 2025
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Then, in November, with the election of Donald Trump and the Republicans’ return to power in Congress, the question of how best to respond to opioid-use disorder was confronted with new uncertainty.—
Moises Velasquez-Manoff Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Zak Mouton,
New York Times,
16 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Speaking of her daughter, the beauty entrepreneur and growing mogul lights up when discussing how the next generation approaches skincare.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
18 Feb. 2025
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As a result, gold soared to a fresh all-time high earlier this month, approaching a record $3,000.—
Vinamrata Chaturvedi,
Quartz,
18 Feb. 2025
Verb
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On their adventures, the Heeler family often encounters other common Australian wildlife, too, including fruit bats, brolgas, lizards and kookaburras.—
Liz Regalia,
Parents,
14 Feb. 2025
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More than 1,000 people wrote in about the electric chance encounters and deep love that slipped through their fingers.—
Catherine Pearson,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near accost
Cite this Entry
“Accost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accost. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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