sprint

1 of 2

verb

ˈsprint 

sprinted; sprinting; sprints

intransitive verb

: to run or go at top speed especially for a short distance

sprinter noun

sprint

2 of 2

noun

1

: the act or an instance of sprinting

2

a

: dash sense 3b

b

: a burst of speed

Synonyms of sprint

Verb

• jog
• trot
• run
• race
• gallop
• speed

Examples of sprint in a Sentence

Verb

The bicycle racers sprinted for the finish line.

he sprinted off to class so as to avoid being late

Noun

He made a sprint for the finish line.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

That could mean a dog, deer or even a child, sprinting onto a road; a detour unforeseen on a navigation app or a suddenly active construction zone. — Alexa St. John, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026

As thousands of Kentucky fans leaped over the walls of the stadium and sprinted onto the turf, Stein's father got in on the fun as well, but in a different fashion. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Noun

Next, there's an altimeter for tracking your climbs during outdoor workouts like hikes and hill sprints, and covering flights of stairs. — New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026

Beshear, who is now the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, campaigned with Sand in June to kick off the sprint to the general election. — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English (Scots) sprenten to spring, leap, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialect sprinta to jump, hop; akin to Old High German sprinzan to jump up

First Known Use

Verb

1847, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sprint

• sprint car
• wind sprint

Rhymes for sprint

• clint
• dint
• glint
• hint
• lint
• mint
• print
• quint
• quinte
• splint
• squint
• stint

Kids Definition

sprint

1 of 2 verb

ˈsprint 

: to run at top speed especially for a short distance

sprinter noun

sprint

2 of 2 noun

1

: a short run at top speed

2

: a race over a short distance