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

To essentially force users into updating, devs now have two new options to hasten app updates. — Stefan Etienne, The Verge, "You can soon continue using an Android app while it’s being updated," 7 Nov. 2018 The essential argument was that the US was on the verge of destruction like the doomed 9/11 plane; electing Hillary Clinton would hasten its demise, but Trump might be able to take control of the metaphorical plane and avert disaster. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Jennifer Arangio, National Security Council official, joins the very long list of White House departures," 14 July 2018 The unique vibe that attracted new residents and workers also has hastened change, said Amit Hasak, whose family sold the 10-story Fulton Market Cold Storage building to developer Sterling Bay for $12 million in 2012. — Ryan Ori, chicagotribune.com, "In exodus from Fulton Market, surviving meatpackers scatter and adapt," 13 July 2018 Showering artificially raises the temperature again and allows for a faster cool down, which seems to hasten sleep. — Alison Caporimo, Seventeen, "It's Official: You Should Always Shower At Night, Not in the Morning," 3 Oct. 2018 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

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.