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Warp speed is an example of a phrase that entered the public consciousness through science fiction and eventually gained enough popularity to end up in the dictionary. The expression was popularized on the science-fiction show Star Trek in the 1960s. On the show, warp speed referred to a specific concept, namely the idea of faster-than-light travel. Within a relatively short period of time, Star Trek gained a devoted and intense following. Fans were soon discussing the fictional concepts of the show, including warp speed, with great enthusiasm. Eventually, the term warp speed was adopted by the general population. In the process, however, it lost its specific fictional meaning and came to mean simply "the highest possible speed."
Examples of warp speed in a Sentence
Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 17 June 2025
The business card has been in its popular analog cardboard format for just over 200 years – a period in which society and scientific knowhow have moved at warp speed.
—New Atlas, 9 June 2025
Some organizations make decisions at warp speed, cutting through red tape like a hot knife through butter.
—Toyna Chin, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
In Rose’s case everything happened in my lifetime, although before social media magnified everything and put it at warp speed.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for warp speed
Cite this Entry
“Warp speed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warp%20speed. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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