accost

verb

Definition of accostnext
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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Example 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 accost Sometimes that was impossible, such as when he was accosted in a car park by Jose Mourinho and at the airport by Roma fans after the 2023 Europa League final, but not for lack of trying. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 23 July 2026 Court records show that 60-year-old Bradley Kyle Martin, of Dearborn Heights, is charged with using a computer or internet to communicate with another person to commit a crime and accosting children for immoral purposes. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 25 June 2026 First accosting Zeke in the Ponderosa parking lot with a completely unsolicited offer of mentorship, George seems determined, for no apparent reason, to mold the young man in his image. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 June 2026 In that incident, the victim was accosted by two men who demanded valuables. — Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for accost
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accost
  1. confront
  2. approach
  3. encounter
Verb
  • Having to go along with everyone may aggravate you while the Aries moon confronts Mars.
    — USA TODAY, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
  • During the course of the play, one of the men is confronted by a former student.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of confront
Verb
  • Fleming by body camera footage, approached Parker, who was talking on his cellphone.
    — Daniel McFadin, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The project uses horror and darkly comic genre elements to approach the psychological pressures of motherhood, extending Urban’s interest in personal experience as a route into broader social and political terrain.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of approach
Verb
  • Those who make the pilgrimage to Temple Square will encounter a host of other attractions and activities, including new exhibits, live concerts and video projections on the ceiling of the tabernacle.
    — Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The growing use of digital channels has made communication another part of how prospective patients encounter a medical practice.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of encounter

Browse Nearby Words

accords
accost
accosted
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Cite this Entry

“Accost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accost. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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