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
The wife of a man who killed himself after his home burned down in the Palisades fire is among more than a dozen plaintiffs who have filed lawsuits blaming the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and other defendants for causing or hastening the deaths of their relatives.
—Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Another was moved to tears while asking how small business owners might help hasten a resolution between the resort and patrollers.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
While all colonial enslavers were anxious about the possibility of poisoning plots in general, other, more local, even personal, concerns existed, such as an enslaver’s fear that one of his captives might try to hasten his death by putting something toxic in his food.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Machado embraced Kim, hastening his acclimation to MLB.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hasten
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Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
Another was moved to tears while asking how small business owners might help hasten a resolution between the resort and patrollers.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 6 Jan. 2026
While all colonial enslavers were anxious about the possibility of poisoning plots in general, other, more local, even personal, concerns existed, such as an enslaver’s fear that one of his captives might try to hasten his death by putting something toxic in his food.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Machado embraced Kim, hastening his acclimation to MLB.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hasten
Cite this Entry
“Hasten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hasten. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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