hastened; hastening
ˈhā-sᵊn-iŋ 
ˈhās-niŋ
: to move or act quickly
She hastened up the stairs.
1
: to encourage to move or act quickly : to urge on
… hastened her to the door.—
A. J. Cronin
A. J. Cronin2
: to cause to happen more quickly : accelerate
His death was hastened by alcoholism.
hasten the coming of a new order—D. W. Brogan
D. W. BroganExamples of hasten in a Sentence
His death was hastened by alcohol abuse.
hasten the activation of yeast with heat
Recent Examples on the Web
Protests hastened the end of the Vietnam War.
—Steve Metsch, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
When Florida’s local insurance companies began to fail, critics suspected that their investors may have hastened their demise by taking excess profits instead of shoring up surplus funds to prepare for disasters, as experts say reputable insurance companies are supposed to do.
—Scott Pham, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
But destroying much of Iran’s ability to project power and attacking the security forces that suppress the Iranian public will surely hasten the regime’s collapse.
—Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Soon after Woodstock, McDonald was arrested and fined for using the cheer at a show in Worcester, Massachusetts, an ordeal which helped hasten the band’s demise.
—Hillel Italie, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hasten
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Steve Metsch, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
When Florida’s local insurance companies began to fail, critics suspected that their investors may have hastened their demise by taking excess profits instead of shoring up surplus funds to prepare for disasters, as experts say reputable insurance companies are supposed to do.
—Scott Pham, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
But destroying much of Iran’s ability to project power and attacking the security forces that suppress the Iranian public will surely hasten the regime’s collapse.
—Dennis Ross, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
Soon after Woodstock, McDonald was arrested and fined for using the cheer at a show in Worcester, Massachusetts, an ordeal which helped hasten the band’s demise.
—Hillel Italie, Fortune, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hasten
Cite this Entry
“Hasten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hasten. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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