fast-track

adjective \ ˈfas(t)-ˌtrak \

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

1 : of, relating to, or moving along a fast track

fast-track executives

2 : of, relating to, or being a construction procedure in which work on a building begins before designs are completed

3 : of or relating to authority granted to the President of the U.S. by Congress that allows the President to negotiate trade agreements which Congress must confirm or reject in their entirety

See fast-track defined for kids

First Known Use of fast-track

1967

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

fast-track

verb

fast-tracked; fast-tracking; fast-tracks

transitive verb

: to speed up the processing, production, or construction of in order to meet a goal

—

fast-tracker

noun

First Known Use of fast-track

1971

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

fast-track Synonyms

fast track

noun

1 : a course leading to rapid advancement or success

2 : a course of expedited consideration or approval

See fast track defined for English-language learners

See fast track defined for kids

Recent Examples of fast track from the Web

The chestnut colt with a pronounced white blaze won on slop at the Kentucky Derby and Preakness; even on a faster track on a clear day at Belmont, his opponents couldn’t outrun him.

— sean gregory/elmont, Time, "Justify Wins the 13th Triple Crown in Horse Racing History," 9 June 2018
Two months after Erik Spoelstra spoke of Eric Glass being on the fast track to the Miami Heat coaching staff, the team Friday confirmed that Glass will coach the team during summer leagues in Sacramento and Las Vegas.

— ira winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Video coordinator Eric Glass to coach Heat summer roster," 8 June 2018
Jurado has been on a fast track through the minor league system ever since.

— drew davison, star-telegram, "Rangers reaction: Should Ariel Jurado get another start? Plus a Martin Perez update | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 19 May 2018
That project landed a director last week and is on the fast track.

— borys kit, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Fast and Furious 9' Lands 'Kin' Writer (Exclusive)," 14 May 2018
The Trump administration plans to propose major changes to the federal civil service system by November, placing an overhaul of government personnel operations on a fast track.

— joe davidson, Washington Post, "Trump administration puts civil service overhaul on fast track," 30 Apr. 2018
Federal district judge Dana Christensen has put the cases on a fast track in hopes of coming to a decision before the grizzly hunting season begins this fall.

— kate keller, Smithsonian, "First Yellowstone Grizzly Hunt in 40 Years Could Take Place This Fall," 24 May 2018
Wings The Wings era set BTS on the fast track to Stateside recognition as the album set the record for the highest-charting K-pop album on the Billboard 200 in October 2016.

— caitlin kelley, Billboard, "How to Get Into BTS: A Primer for ARMY Recruits," 17 May 2018
That's right: the fast track to a prized life starts with music in the womb.

— erik vance, Scientific American, "Sorry, Mom and Dad, Toys Cannot Supercharge Your Baby," 15 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fast track.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.