as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass
silt accreting at the mouth of the river over time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of accrete
While the federal bureaucracy was accreting independent administrative authority, however, conservatives in the 1970s and 1980s were embracing a rival interpretation of the constitutional separation of powers known as the unitary executive theory.
—
Stephen I. Vladeck, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021
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
See all Example Sentences for accrete 
Stephen I. Vladeck, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021
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
See all Example Sentences for accrete
Thesaurus Entries Near accrete
Cite this Entry
“Accrete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accrete. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share