accent 1 of 2

noun

ˈak-ˌsent How to pronounce accent (audio)
Definition of accentnext
as in emphasis
a special notice or importance given to something although we dutifully carried binoculars on our bird walk, the accent was on recognizing avifauna by their song

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

accent

2 of 2

verb

ˈak-ˌsent How to pronounce accent (audio)
as in to emphasize
to indicate the importance of by centering attention on the town's promotional literature accents its vital role in American history

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 accent
Noun
The killings of Murdaugh’s wife and son and his subsequent six-week trial captivated the true crime world with a mix of treachery, corruption, money, power and Southern accents. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 What did weigh on Nordrum’s mind, however, was nailing an English accent. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
In knee-high pink heels, Adéla led a team of backup dancers on an empty stage accented by a dance barre, a nod to her own training as a ballet dancer. — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 Renderings show a brown building and a white building that are irregularly shaped and accented with colorful murals and awnings. — Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for accent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for accent
  1. emphasis
  2. emphasize
  3. highlight
  4. stress
  5. feature
Noun
  • That formula feels even more relevant today, and what makes the T especially compelling is that its emphasis on driver engagement does not come at the cost of day-to-day livability.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Atlas build efficiency The emphasis on manufacturing efficiency extends to the design of Atlas itself.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphasis
Verb
  • Google’s November 13, 2025 holiday shopping update began rolling out agentic checkout and emphasized the scale of its Shopping Graph, with more than 50 billion product listings and 2 billion refreshed every hour.
    — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The collectibles industry, once a niche hobby, has boomed since the pandemic with the help of marketing that emphasizes huge potential monetary wins.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of emphasize
Verb
  • Moncler highlighted the trailblazing careers and unique legacies of these artists.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The video also serves as a recruitment effort, highlighting the technical work involved in building and maintaining Atlas.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of highlight
Verb
  • Beskrestnov stressed that it is not used on Russian territory and that Starshield provides no service to Ukrainian drones used to attack oil refineries there.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Jill Lindsey, an advocate for the Old National community, stressed that both resident homeowners and independent investors are taking devastating financial losses.
    — La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stress
Verb
  • The 2026 edition featured a programme made up of 60% world premieres, which played out in four venues across the city, and boasted a 35% increase in admissions on 2025.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The store houses Smythson’s full selection, and also features a dedicated bespoke stationery salon, the only one outside of London, where customers can book a one-on-one appointment with a stationery specialist.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of feature

Browse Nearby Words

acceleration
accent
accented
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Accent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/accent. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on accent

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about accent

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All