accost

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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 When his father Winston (McCarthy, 62) brings Brandon to a rehab facility in a rural area, the father-son duo are violently accosted — and Winston is wounded — while stopping for gas. Tommy McArdle, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024 Native artists winced two years ago when Gilbert Ortega Jr. accosted Native performers in front of his Old Town Scottsdale store during a Super Bowl promotion. Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 22 Nov. 2024 James McIntyre, 33, of Illinois, was charged with assaulting a government official Tuesday after allegedly accosting Mace. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 12 Dec. 2024 Penny accosted Neely on the subway after Neely made death threats against other passengers. Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for accost 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accost
Verb
  • Meeting these expectations requires leaders to first confront their own assumptions about work, wellness, and performance.
    Tarun Galagali, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The irony is striking—the man who built his political brand on confronting China now fights to resurrect one of its most effective tools for gathering American data.
    Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Chicago Public Schools officials had said that at least one immigration officer approached Hamline Elementary School on the city’s Southwest Side late Friday morning, but was not allowed to enter.
    Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Fire was approaching the facility, home to 45 elderly and disabled patients ranging in age from mid-60s to 103, many of them bedridden, some with dementia.
    Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Horford long ago learned the frustration so many Eastern Conference players encountered when trying to knock off one of James’ teams.
    Jay King, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Things get hairy when Patel’s Darcy encounters a mysterious young rabbit trapper in the woods.
    EW Staff, EW.com, 23 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near accost

Cite this Entry

“Accost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accost. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.

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