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
Verb
His death was hastened by alcohol abuse.
hasten the activation of yeast with heat
Recent Examples on the Web
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
As Wembanyama garners worldwide attention, arriving right at Tatum and Silver’s New York doorstep in a moment that could change the sport, the NBA’s desire to expand hastens.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 5 June 2026
But now, moving positions could hasten his return to the majors as the Twins have recently shifted Brooks Lee from shortstop to third after Lewis was demoted.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 3 June 2026
But Ortberg’s relentlessly systematic approach hastened the progress, and the results are now showing in a big way.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for hasten
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Verb
The eclipse will pass over Galicia and then the Balearic Islands in Spain as sunset approaches, hastening the transition from day to night, according to the Spanish Scientific and Advisory Committee for the Trio of Eclipses.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
As Wembanyama garners worldwide attention, arriving right at Tatum and Silver’s New York doorstep in a moment that could change the sport, the NBA’s desire to expand hastens.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 5 June 2026
But now, moving positions could hasten his return to the majors as the Twins have recently shifted Brooks Lee from shortstop to third after Lewis was demoted.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 3 June 2026
But Ortberg’s relentlessly systematic approach hastened the progress, and the results are now showing in a big way.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 June 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 11 Jun. 2026.
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