speed run

noun or verb

an incredibly fast progression or transition

What does speed run mean?

As a noun, speed run (also styled speed-run or speedrun) refers to an incredibly rapid progression or transition between two things. Speed run is also used as a verb to mean “to progress very rapidly.”

Examples of speed run

… her speed-run from “I want to be queen” to “perhaps the gods have conspired to sabotage my efforts” is really quite impressive.
—Brian Grubb, Vulture, 19 July 2026

Their speed run from hostilities to love feels a bit under-earned, but in the end, we care more about the storytellers than the story—it’s the fate of Pink and Cecile that matters most.
—Tracey Sinclair, The Stage (London), 11 Dec. 2025

… creating a company to speedrun from an absurd initial valuation to a buyout by a larger tech firm isn’t exactly unheard of in Silicon Valley.
—Timothy Geigner, TechDirt, 24 Feb. 2025

Where does speed run come from?

This use of speed run likely comes from the speedrun (or speed run) we define as “a timed playthrough of a video game or portion of a video game completed as quickly as the player is able to complete it.” The video game speedrun has been in use since the early 1990s.

How is speed run used?

As a verb, speed run can be used intransitively (meaning it does not take an object) to mean “to progress very rapidly.”

… I’m really tired but my brain is speed running through all my most random inner thoughts 😅
—@reading.bb, Threads, 29 June 2026

The verb can also be used transitively to mean “to progress very rapidly through (something).” In the following sentence, the object of speed-run is “the whole ‘becoming a brand’ thing.”