up-tempo

adjective

up-tem·​po ˈəp-ˌtem-(ˌ)pō 

: having a fast-moving tempo

up-tempo music

an aggressive up-tempo style of basketball

Examples of up-tempo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Nelson introduced what is now known as the point forward, and his up-tempo style of offense created a buzz. — John Raby, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026

Former Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury ran a primarily no-huddle system, so Tunsil’s training had to fit an up-tempo system. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 31 July 2026

Fenton brought along his up-tempo, no-huddle offense from Los Alamitos, and quarterbacks Ezrah Brown and Reagan Toki were executing it in midseason form. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

Claxton should benefit tremendously from playing in an up-tempo offense alongside a true point guard in Josh Giddey. — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 25 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for up-tempo

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo