Accompanied by vs. Accompanied with

Accompanied by

/əˈkʌmpənid baɪ/

When something happens together with another thing

Examples:

The meal was accompanied by a glass of fine wine.The meeting was accompanied by a slideshow presentation.She was accompanied by her loyal pet everywhere.

Synonyms:

along with

Antonyms:

withoutunaccompanied

Accompanied with

/əˈkʌmpənid wɪð/

Occurs together with something else

Examples:

His speech was accompanied with loud applause.The storm was accompanied with strong winds and lightning.Her surprise was accompanied with a heartfelt hug.

Synonyms:

alongside

Antonyms:

solounaccompaniedalone

Ways to tell them apart:

• Accompanied by is often used to emphasize who is with someone, highlighting the presence of an additional person or item.
• Accompanied with typically highlights what is added to enhance or complete something, focusing more on an addition rather than on a person.
• Remember that accompanied by often indicates a more direct partnership, while accompanied with can sometimes suggest an added feature or element.
• Accompanied by and accompanied with can sometimes be used interchangeably, but context will often dictate the preference for one over the other.
• Think of by as pointing to someone or something that is a necessary peer, whereas with might suggest an optional feature or flavor.