accelerate

To move faster, or make a vehicle move faster.

• The car began to accelerate.
• She accelerated smoothly onto the main road.
• Do not accelerate too hard on wet roads.

How to use it: accelerate from A to B (The car accelerated from thirty to sixty miles per hour.)

Similar words: speed up

Opposites: decelerate

Common phrases: accelerate quickly, accelerate the car, accelerate smoothly

To make a process or change happen more quickly.

• Warm weather can accelerate plant growth.
• The new machines accelerated production.
• How can we accelerate the recovery process?

Similar words: speed up, hasten

Opposites: slow, delay

Common phrases: accelerate growth, accelerate development, accelerate the process

To make an event happen sooner than it otherwise would.

• The storm accelerated our departure.
• They accelerated the launch by two weeks.
• These events may accelerate a final decision.

Similar words: hasten, bring forward

Opposites: postpone, delay

Common phrases: accelerate our departure, accelerate the launch, accelerate a decision