accelerate something

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "accelerate something" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the act of speeding up a process, action, or event. Example: "We need to accelerate the project timeline to meet the upcoming deadline."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

To see the effects, you need to accelerate something really big.

The Guardian

The problem is, as you mention, that it is not possible to accelerate something up to the speed of light.

Cornell University

And when you accelerate something as big as the universe as much as that, you are going to get some pretty big gravitational waves.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

"The minimum wage [increase] is maybe just accelerating something that was bound to happen anyway," he said.

The Guardian

But over the long term, firms in the euro area are likely to reduce the number of suppliers they use.As so often, the euro will here be accelerating something already under way.

The Economist

"The pace of innovation in the Bitcoin-related space is accelerating — something that could be revolutionary even, considering it all comes from participation by individuals as there is no corporation or industry group overseeing Bitcoin endeavors," observes the BitcoinMoney blog.

Forbes

In the company's announcement, Whole Foods Market President and COO A.C. Gallo noted that the timeline for the rollout of the Prime savings has been accelerated — something attributed to "positive customer feedback and successes" it saw over the past month.

TechCrunch

Further, once the body has collapsed down to the point where its escape velocity is the speed of light, no physical force whatsoever could prevent the body from continuing to collapse down further – for this would be equivalent to accelerating something to speeds beyond that of light.

SEP

In a series of conceptual and technical breakthroughs, a group of theorists at Stanford showed this year that string theory could describe a universe whose expansion was accelerating -- something that many experts thought impossible.

The New York Times - Science

That is because particles accelerated to something close to the speed of light gain in mass, and are unable to go any faster than that speed.

The Economist

But what the two-year-old figures do not show is that the Government is now trying to tackle those problems in an accelerated way - something no other South Asian nation outside Sri Lanka has done.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "accelerate something" when you want to emphasize the act of speeding up a process or action. Ensure that the context clearly indicates what is being accelerated.

Common error

Avoid using "accelerate something" without clearly defining what 'something' is. Ambiguity can lead to confusion and weaken your message. Be specific about the object being accelerated.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "accelerate something" functions as a transitive verb phrase, where "accelerate" is the verb and "something" serves as its direct object. It indicates the act of increasing the rate or speed of an unspecified entity. Ludwig AI confirms that this usage is correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Academia

33%

Science

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "accelerate something" is a grammatically correct verb phrase used to describe the act of speeding up an unspecified entity. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. Although relatively rare, it appears in diverse contexts such as news, academic writing and scientific discussions. It can be used in neutral and formal settings, the key to its effective use lies in clearly defining "something" to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives include phrases like "expedite something" or "hasten something".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Expedite something

Focuses on making something happen faster and more efficiently.

Hasten something

Emphasizes making something occur more quickly, often with a sense of urgency.

Quicken something

Highlights increasing the speed or rate of something.

Step up something

Suggests intensifying or increasing the pace of an activity or process.

Boost something

Implies enhancing or improving something, often in terms of speed or efficiency.

Advance something

Suggests moving something forward more rapidly or efficiently.

Drive something forward

Emphasizes pushing something ahead with increased momentum.

Catalyze something

Focuses on initiating or accelerating a reaction or process.

Amplify something

Implies increasing the intensity or effect of something.

Intensify something

Highlights increasing the strength or degree of something.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "accelerate something" in a sentence?

To effectively use "accelerate something", clearly define what is being accelerated. For example: "We need to accelerate something, such as the project timeline".

What are some alternatives to "accelerate something"?

Alternatives include "expedite something", "hasten something", or "quicken something", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is there a difference between "accelerate something" and "speed up something"?

"Accelerate something" often implies a more formal or technical context, while "speed up something" is generally more informal. Both refer to increasing the rate at which something happens, but the choice depends on the tone and audience.

Can "accelerate something" be used in both formal and informal contexts?

While "accelerate something" can be used in both formal and informal contexts, it's more commonly found in formal writing and professional settings. For informal contexts, simpler alternatives like "speed up something" may be more appropriate.