ACCENTUATE Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

accentuate

verb

ik-ˈsen(t)-shə-ˌwāt

Definition of accentuate

as in to emphasize

to indicate the importance of by centering attention on let's accentuate the saxophones during this piece by having the sax players stand up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to enhance

to make markedly greater in measure or degree the foul weather merely accentuated my feelings of depression

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to reinforce

to make more apparent unfortunately, the new bedspread just accentuates the dinginess of the curtains behind the bed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 accentuate Either way, Rahimi balances the character’s clear vulnerability with just enough ambiguity about his plans for the school, accentuated through Majidi’s restrained and naturalistic approach. — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 The loneliness is accentuated by the jittery, dreaminess of his club beats for the headphones that make even the goofiest songs seem personal. — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026 The sedan features short overhangs and a streamlined side profile, which does get accentuated by the flat door handles. — New Atlas, 7 Oct. 2026 But Galactic Racer layers on some clever elements to help accentuate its distinct style. — Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accentuate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for accentuate

Verb

Both local governments filed their briefs to the Supreme Court this week, emphasizing their arguments that the bans are lawful because the AR-15 and similar weapons are not ordinary firearms.

— Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 23 Oct. 2026
Officials emphasized that machines are tested before each election and that in most jurisdictions, there is a postelection audit that consists of a manual hand count of a sample of paper ballots.

— Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of emphasize

Verb

Throughout history, some were commissioned to enhance the interiors with their signature flair while others bartered their artwork for breaks on daily rates and others simply just thrived off the scene.

— Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Each picture mode offers essentially the same rich set of options, except for AI-enhanced, which locks you out of some settings (including local contrast and color tuner), presumably because the AI logic is handling those.

— M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of enhance

Verb

Mental health experts have voiced concerns about chatbots’ sycophancy, lack of clinical nuance, and ability to reinforce delusional beliefs.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Kim Yo Jong, widely viewed as the second most powerful official in Pyongyang, made the statement after visiting frontline areas where soldiers are reinforcing the border.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of reinforce

Verb

Despite his history with Holmes, Carreyrou said the film ultimately helped highlight some of Holmes’ contradictions.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
While other members of the Biden administration have defended Becerra’s performance, his time at the helm highlighted an issue that even allies concede has bedeviled Becerra in the past, his tendency to sometimes recede into the background.

— Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of highlight

Verb

And even for those who are just ordinarily stressed, being around horses can be calming and restorative — part of a somatic healing approach, which focuses on how the body holds on to emotions.

— Ondine Cohane, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026
And not to stress anybody out further, but high cortisol suppresses your immune system and increases inflammation, both of which lead to things like quicker aging and poor long-term health outcomes.

— Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of stress

Verb

Against a largely black palette, flashes of alarm red and bubblegum pink heightened the collection’s apocalyptic ethos.

— Livia Caligor, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
As with his previous films, Iñárritu tells his story using scenes out of order so that the pieces fall together in a jagged form that heightens the tension.

— Ray Bennett, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of heighten

Verb

But North Korea’s deepening military ties with Russia since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine have led analysts to question whether Pyongyang is becoming less reliant on Beijing.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Residents of the southern Ukrainian ⁠town, occupied by Russian forces since February 2022, have reported a deepening food crisis.

— Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of deepen

Browse Nearby Words

accents

accentuate

accentuated

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“Accentuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accentuate. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of accentuate

verb

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