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
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request from two toy companies to expedite their challenge to President Donald Trump's tariffs.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 20 June 2025
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to fast-track a legal challenge to President Donald Trump's tariffs, rejecting a motion to expedite the case and delaying consideration despite pressure from affected companies.
—Peter Aitken
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
College football rule makers have tried to expedite game flow in other ways, including tweaking the clock rules.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Declaring an emergency to expedite contracts When Trump started his second term in January, CoreCivic and Geo had around 20 idle facilities, partly because of sentencing reforms that reduced prison populations.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expedite
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.
Erin Doherty, CNBC, 20 June 2025
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to fast-track a legal challenge to President Donald Trump's tariffs, rejecting a motion to expedite the case and delaying consideration despite pressure from affected companies.
—Peter Aitken
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
College football rule makers have tried to expedite game flow in other ways, including tweaking the clock rules.
—Chris Vannini, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Declaring an emergency to expedite contracts When Trump started his second term in January, CoreCivic and Geo had around 20 idle facilities, partly because of sentencing reforms that reduced prison populations.
—Heather Hollingsworth, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 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 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expedite
verb
ex·pe·dite
ˈek-spə-ˌdīt
expedited; expediting
: to speed up the process or progress of
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share