hastened; hastening
ˈhā-sᵊn-iŋ 
ˈhās-niŋ
: to move or act quickly
She hastened up the stairs.
1
: to encourage to move or act quickly : to urge on
… hastened her to the door.—
A. J. Cronin
A. J. Cronin2
: to cause to happen more quickly : accelerate
His death was hastened by alcoholism.
hasten the coming of a new order—D. W. Brogan
D. W. BroganExamples of hasten in a Sentence
His death was hastened by alcohol abuse.
hasten the activation of yeast with heat
Recent Examples on the Web
And that is usually due to passengers who try and cheat, hasten, or trick the system.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
This decline has hastened since the tariffs.
—Robert Ferris, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
This week, the International Skating Union announced a strategic partnership with consulting firm Deloitte to hasten an ongoing turnaround effort.
—Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 11 Feb. 2026
But some research has cited the Antonine Plague as part of a vicious cycle that hastened Rome’s long fall.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hasten
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.
Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 15 Feb. 2026
This decline has hastened since the tariffs.
—Robert Ferris, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
This week, the International Skating Union announced a strategic partnership with consulting firm Deloitte to hasten an ongoing turnaround effort.
—Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 11 Feb. 2026
But some research has cited the Antonine Plague as part of a vicious cycle that hastened Rome’s long fall.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hasten
Cite this Entry
“Hasten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hasten. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
