sprint

1 of 3

verb

ˈsprint 

sprinted; sprinting; sprints

intransitive verb

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

sprinter noun

sprint

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

: the act or an instance of sprinting

2

a

: dash sense 3b

b

: a burst of speed

sprinter

3 of 3

noun (2)

sprint·​er

-tə(r)

plural -s

: one that sprints

especially : one that competes in sprint races

a champion sprinter

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 (1)

He made a sprint for the finish line.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The animal was far from sprinting, instead taking a relaxed stroll at a speed surprisingly comparable to a human walking briskly to catch a bus. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026

Boston caught a slant, broke three tackles and sprinted into the end zone. — ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026

Noun

Jonathan Drake | Reuters Republicans are entering the final sprint to the 2026 midterm election trailing Democrats in national and battleground polls and defending much of the most competitive terrain in Congress. — Luke Fountain, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Sign up for our weekly newsletter Proof Positive This past May mathematicians headed into a room near the top of the California Institute of Technology’s tallest building to prep for a sprint. — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 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 (1)

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