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
In one of those, a group of young Israeli soldiers accost Salim and Noor after the military unexpectedly pushes up the Palestinians’ curfew.
—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Taylor was attempting to join her castmates onstage after the 2025 movie won Best Picture, one of six awards bestowed on the dark comedy-action film, when the guard allegedly accosted her and Abdy, reported TMZ.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
All of the laws attacking transgender people actually negatively affect all women… people getting accosted in bathrooms are cis women often.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
In one example, an on-duty Postal Service worker flipped off and verbally accosted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
—Houston Keene, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accost
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Mar. 2026
Taylor was attempting to join her castmates onstage after the 2025 movie won Best Picture, one of six awards bestowed on the dark comedy-action film, when the guard allegedly accosted her and Abdy, reported TMZ.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2026
All of the laws attacking transgender people actually negatively affect all women… people getting accosted in bathrooms are cis women often.
—Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
In one example, an on-duty Postal Service worker flipped off and verbally accosted Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
—Houston Keene, Boston Herald, 1 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for accost
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accost
Verb
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The officer is seen attempting to confront the driver when he gets knocked into the suspect's SUV through an open passenger-side door as the vehicle accelerates a brief distance in reverse.—
Brian Day,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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Then as a tenant left the apartment building Garcia slipped inside before entering Negron’s daughter’s apartment, confronting Negron in the bathroom and shooting her in the forehead, torso, arms and legs.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan posted to X Thursday that some parts of the country are starting to approach new all-time records for gas prices.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
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The human cost of finding and exploiting bugs may approach zero, but fixing them won’t.—
Evan Johnson,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Less than an hour later, Hall-Bennetts encountered Patton during a safety check.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Plans to serve booze at White Stadium’s professional soccer matches in Boston have encountered pushback by critics of the city’s public-private rehab plan, but a ban on alcohol would effectively kill the $325 million project.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Accost.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accost. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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