verb · academic

accelerate

UK/əkˈseləreɪt/US/ækˈseləreɪt/ac·CEL·er·ate

task1

to increase in speed or rate; to make something increase in speed or rate

Examples

Growth accelerated in the final quarter of the year.

The rate of inflation accelerated following the policy change.

Investment accelerated once incentives were introduced.

Band 8 sentence

As new infrastructure projects began, economic activity accelerated, lifting GDP growth above forecasts.

Collocations

  • accelerate sharply
  • accelerate growth
  • accelerate to

Word family

accelerate verbaccelerated adjective / verb (past)acceleration noun

Common mistakes

The trend accelerates to 5%The trend accelerates to 5% / The rate accelerated to 5%

It was accelerated quicklyIt accelerated quickly

Say it for a higher band

5become faster6increase quickly7+accelerate

Synonyms

speed up

quickened

Easily confused

increase

The economy continued to increase in size over the decade.

Related words

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In Rate of change

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