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

Instead, their defense let Hurts sprint through a wide gap in the middle of the line for a first down. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Missouri trailed 6-3 and had a first down on the KU 49 in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter when Smith sprinted right on an option play and pitched to Brad Ekwerekwu. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026

Noun

Mayfield narrowly escaped Mafe’s grasp, and that sent him into a sprint to the sideline, where Barrett Carter did a great job pursuing the scramble. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Before testing begins, fund a remediation sprint, name the executives who can accept residual risk, and define escalation dates. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 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

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