acudir

To go to a place, especially in response to a call, need, or appointment — acudir a una cita, acudir en ayuda de alguien. It carries a sense of responding to something, which plain ir usually doesn't.

• Acudió al hospital de inmediato. — He went straight to the hospital.
• Muchos acudieron a la manifestación. — Many people turned out for the protest.
• Acudieron en su ayuda cuando lo necesitó. — They came to his aid when he needed it.

Using acudir as a plain equivalent of ir — acudir implies responding to a summons, appointment, or need, so 'acudí al cine porque sí' sounds odd; ir is the neutral verb for just going somewhere.

Often confused with asistir.