Did you know?
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
Leila Cobo, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2025
Chirag Shah, a professor with the Information School at the University of Washington, says AI has become a phenomenon at warp speed, with minimal regulation, and there have been consequences.
—NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
With the brave new arrival of computer sensors placed in players’ shoulder pads, football data accumulation reached warp speed.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025
But the game evolves at warp speed these days.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 7 Oct. 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 15 Nov. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share