speedrun

American  

[speed-ruhn] / ˈspidˌrʌn /

noun

1. (in a video game) a session or instance of play in which the goal is to finish the game or level, or meet another game-play objective, as quickly as possible.

   Can you beat a 45-minute speedrun of Super Mario?

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verb (used with object)

1. to play (a video game) with such a goal.

   She tried to speedrun the dungeon without fighting any ghouls.

Etymology

Origin of speedrun

First recorded in 2000–05; speed ( def. ) + run ( def. )

Example Sentences

“We’re basically trying to speedrun 20 years of scientific progress in two years,” said Batson, a research scientist at Anthropic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

JH says the speedrun community was "gutted" when they learned Mario and Sonic wouldn't be heading for Paris.

From BBC • Aug. 6, 2024

“I’d love it if someone managed to speedrun the game by using some crazy combination of mechanics to get there.”

From The Verge • Dec. 11, 2021

GDC has been organizing its charity speedrun marathons since 2010, and this year’s event is raising money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

From The Verge • Jan. 4, 2021

I knew he’d probably gone to Gygax, or somewhere equally awesome, to speedrun through a few quests and rack up some XPs.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline