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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Recent Examples of accost
Penny accosted Neely on the subway after Neely made death threats against other passengers.
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Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024
The best way to counter those who would frighten their fellow citizens from the polls is to fight back — by recording, photographing and reporting attempts at harassment and by refusing to engage with people who try to accost voters.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2024
Native artists winced two years ago when Gilbert Ortega Jr. accosted Native performers in front of his store in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona, during a Super Bowl promotion.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
In the club lounge, Wendy, our resident feminist, accosted me with today’s deal.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for accost 
Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024
The best way to counter those who would frighten their fellow citizens from the polls is to fight back — by recording, photographing and reporting attempts at harassment and by refusing to engage with people who try to accost voters.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2024
Native artists winced two years ago when Gilbert Ortega Jr. accosted Native performers in front of his store in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona, during a Super Bowl promotion.
—Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024
In the club lounge, Wendy, our resident feminist, accosted me with today’s deal.
—Frank Stewart, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for accost
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accost
Verb
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The supernatural encounter forces him to confront deeper truths about urban survival and morality.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Jan. 2025
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People forced to flee their cars on Sunset Boulevard; sparks whipped by 80-mph winds igniting entire streets; firefighters hastening evacuations and confronting literal walls of flame; the smoking shells of homes and businesses.Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
Verb
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In Florida, the number of voucher recipients approached half a million this school year, up seventy-four per cent.Alec MacGillis, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
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Newsweek has approached McAfee for comment via email.Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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For Rice, a native of Washington, D.C., where wildfires are nearly nonexistent, encountering such devastation is new.Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025
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The Real Challenges of Transformation While the potential is clear, digital transformation often encounters significant barriers.Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near accost
Cite this Entry
“Accost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accost. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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