expedite
verb
ex·pe·dite
ˈek-spə-ˌdīt 
expedited; expediting
1
: to accelerate the process or progress of : speed up
2
: to execute promptly
Did you know?
Need someone to do something in a hurry? You can tell that person to step on it—or you can tell them expedite it. Figurative feet are involved in both cases, though less obviously in the second choice. Expedite comes from the Latin verb expedire, meaning “to free from entanglement” or “to release (a person) especially from a confined position.” The feet come in at that word’s root: it traces back to Latin ped- or pes, meaning “foot.” Expedient and expedition also stepped into English by way of expedire.
Examples of expedite in a Sentence
During the fire season they wear a semblance of uniform intended to expedite the rush when the siren howls …
—
Tom Harpole, Air & Space, August/September 1993
Overnight he found himself coordinating the train and ship schedules and expediting the loading and unloading of 15,000 officers and men …
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
This final phase was never actually completed because of the need to expedite an airmobile force to Vietnam.
—Shelby L. Stanton, Anatomy of a Division, 1987
After the war its leaders were stigmatized as collaborators and accused of helping to expedite the murderous work of the Nazis.
—Bernard Wasserstein, New York Times Book Review, 24 May 1987
Tom Harpole, Air & Space, August/September 1993
Overnight he found himself coordinating the train and ship schedules and expediting the loading and unloading of 15,000 officers and men …
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
This final phase was never actually completed because of the need to expedite an airmobile force to Vietnam.
—Shelby L. Stanton, Anatomy of a Division, 1987
After the war its leaders were stigmatized as collaborators and accused of helping to expedite the murderous work of the Nazis.
—Bernard Wasserstein, New York Times Book Review, 24 May 1987
Recent Examples on the Web
The release of the film was expedited following the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student in Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
Rykov's transport back to Russia, on the other hand, was expedited one day.
—Esther Kang, People.com, 17 May 2025
Vera said that Bitcoin miners were paying 2-4x the usual air freight rates to expedite shipments ahead of April 9, 2025, the effective date for the Trump administration’s original reciprocal tariff schedule.
—Colin Harper, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Piker said that he was stopped for questioning despite being enrolled in the government's Global Entry program, which normally expedites re-entry to the United States.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
Rykov's transport back to Russia, on the other hand, was expedited one day.
—Esther Kang, People.com, 17 May 2025
Vera said that Bitcoin miners were paying 2-4x the usual air freight rates to expedite shipments ahead of April 9, 2025, the effective date for the Trump administration’s original reciprocal tariff schedule.
—Colin Harper, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Piker said that he was stopped for questioning despite being enrolled in the government's Global Entry program, which normally expedites re-entry to the United States.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
Cite this Entry
“Expedite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expedite. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expedite
verb
ex·pe·dite
ˈek-spə-ˌdīt
expedited; expediting
: to speed up the process or progress of
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