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
But some research has cited the Antonine Plague as part of a vicious cycle that hastened Rome’s long fall.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Andy Jassy’s tenure as Amazon’s CEO has been defined by the company’s ability to cut costs across the business, all while hastening delivery speeds and optimizing inventory placement across the supply chain.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Smith suggested that public criticism of Clark had played a role in hastening his death.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
In 2018, Hamid and Fushman instituted a new scout fund precisely to solve this problem, hastening the decision process at Kleiner from weeks to days in one fell swoop.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hasten
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Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Andy Jassy’s tenure as Amazon’s CEO has been defined by the company’s ability to cut costs across the business, all while hastening delivery speeds and optimizing inventory placement across the supply chain.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026
Smith suggested that public criticism of Clark had played a role in hastening his death.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
In 2018, Hamid and Fushman instituted a new scout fund precisely to solve this problem, hastening the decision process at Kleiner from weeks to days in one fell swoop.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Jan. 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 14 Feb. 2026.
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