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

While the Republic was already in decline well before then, the fateful move hastened Rome’s transition to autocratic rule. — Matt Ford, The New Republic, "Tanks, But No Tanks," 4 July 2019 Yet the emergence of the opioid epidemic, which kills whites at higher rates than other races, has also hastened the racial convergence. — The Economist, "Black men in America are living almost as long as white men," 14 June 2019 Though some researchers describe the study as a prevention trial, Herold hastens to point out that, strictly speaking, it was designed to test delay of disease onset, not prevention. — Jennifer Couzin-frankel, Science | AAAS, "In milestone trial, experimental drug delays type 1 diabetes," 9 June 2019 Shortly after Christmas, hospital officials contacted relatives and told them that Husel's over-prescribing had hastened or caused their family members' deaths. — Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati.com, "Ohio doctor accused of killing patients or hastening their deaths by ordering excessive doses of fentanyl," 5 June 2019 Public opinion research has shown shifting opinions among doctors and the general public about hastening death. — Melissa Bailey, The Denver Post, "Some seniors weigh the idea of “rational suicide”," 23 June 2019 An all-white jury voted to acquit the men after defense attorneys argued that Civil Rights activists hastened the minister’s death to create a white martyr for the cause. — al.com, "Podcast ‘White Lies’ finds fourth attacker in unsolved Selma murder case," 18 June 2019 His death hastened Congress’s passage of the Fair Housing Act. — Wendi C. Thomas, National Geographic, "Where the Streets Have MLK's Name," 12 June 2019 An ensuing collapse in the value of the currency hastened the country’s first recession in a decade. — Selcan Hacaoglu, Bloomberg.com, "Turkey's Erdogan Says Russia May Deliver S-400 Missiles Soon," 18 May 2019

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.