hasten

verb

has·ten | \ˈhā-sᵊn

hastened; hastening\ ˈhās-niŋ ,

ˈhā-sᵊn-iŋ \

Definition of hasten

intransitive verb

: to move or act quickly She hastened up the stairs.

transitive verb

1 : to encourage to move or act quickly : to urge on hastened her to the door— A. J. Cronin

2 : to cause to happen more quickly : accelerate His death was hastened by alcoholism. hasten the coming of a new order— D. W. Brogan

Other Words from hasten Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hasten

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Examples of hasten in a Sentence

His death was hastened by alcohol abuse. hasten the activation of yeast with heat

Recent Examples on the Web

The aim was to kill officials on their way into work, and somehow hasten the end of the world. — The Economist, "On the hanging of Shoko Asahara, Japan’s nerve-gas guru," 12 July 2018 Given that about 60% of Tehran’s budget comes from petroleum exports, the best way for the U.S. to hasten regime change is to tighten sanctions while closely coordinating with regional allies to increase global oil supplies and lower prices. — Nawaf E. Obaid, WSJ, "The Oil Weapon Can Fell the Ayatollahs," 1 July 2018 Federal investigations discovered cracks from wear and tear in the fan blade that failed in the Southwest flight, which hastened the need for inspections. — Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, "FAA hastens inspections to focus on oldest 737 engines, after Southwest engine failure," 16 May 2018 If there are competing court decisions, that could hasten a review by the Supreme Court. — Joseph Tanfani, latimes.com, "Confusion, calculation and fear keeping DACA recipients from renewing their status while they can," 11 May 2018 Democrats say too much of the cuts went to the wealthy and businesses while hastening the arrival of $1 trillion-plus annual budget deficits. — Andrew Taylor, USA TODAY, "Sen. Rubio: Corporations aren’t investing tax cuts in jobs, workers," 1 May 2018 Placed in a glass of water on an office desk or on a windowsill, its buds will continue to develop, hastening the onset of spring — at least in the mind, if not in reality. — Dave Taft, New York Times, "Spring Arrives on Kitten’s Paws," 4 Apr. 2018 The Dodgers attempted to hasten Buehler’s return to the major league roster by using him as a reliever against the Cubs last week. — Andy Mccullough, latimes.com, "Walker Buehler completes first leg of journey back to Dodgers," 4 July 2018 Zainab Chaudry, Maryland liaison for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the Dundalk family has experienced threatening incidents at their apartment, and the group is asking Baltimore County police to hasten an inquiry. — Jonathan M. Pitts, baltimoresun.com, "Muslim civil rights group seeks to call attention to alleged harassment of Iraqi refugee family in Dundalk," 3 July 2018

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