fast track

¹ American  

noun

1. a racetrack dry and hard enough for optimum speed.

2. a railroad track for express trains.

3. Informal. a situation or course of action that is intensely pressured or competitive, especially one in which a person advances rapidly to a higher level in a business or profession.

   With two promotions in six months, he seems to have chosen the fast track.

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idioms

1. on a / the fast track,

   1. advancing or being promoted more rapidly than usual, especially in business or other organizational positions.

      an executive on the fast track.

   2. expanding or being developed or handled rapidly and often innovatively.

      a company on the fast track in computer technology.

fast-track ² American  

[fast-trak, fahst-] / ˈfæstˈtræk, ˈfɑst- /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to advance or develop rapidly.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the fast track.

fast-track British  

adjective

1. denoting the quickest or most direct route or system

   fast-track executives

   a fast-track procedure for libel claims

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verb

1. (tr) to speed up the progress of (a project or person)

fast track More Idioms  

1. A situation involving high pressure, competition, and, especially, rapid success or advancement. For example, He was definitely on a fast track, becoming a partner after only five years in the firm, or This company was on the fast track in software development. This term alludes to a dry, hard horse track that enables horses to run at high speeds. [Colloquial; mid-1960s] Also see fast lane.

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Other Word Forms

• fast-tracker noun

Etymology

Origin of fast-track

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

The new rules could fast track the entry of a newly public large company—let’s just say, a company like SpaceX, OpenAI, or Anthropic—15 days after its IPO.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

They explore how Top Model’s central promise—a fast track to a career in the fashion industry—was ultimately an illusion used to make great television at the expense of the contestants.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2026

The partnership gave Anthropic a fast track to be used in classified settings through Palantir’s systems and made Anthropic the first model developer available for the most sensitive Pentagon operations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Believing they were on a fast track to having their terminals reconnected, some soldiers were even tricked into making online payments totalling $5,000.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

For four dispiriting years, he had hectored government officials to place the program on the fast track.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• accelerate
• assist
• facilitate
• hasten
• promote
• quicken
• speed
• urge