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• fast track
  fast track

  noun

  a racetrack dry and hard enough for optimum speed.
• fast-track
  fast-track

  verb (used with or without object)

  to advance or develop rapidly.

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

Explanation

To fast-track something is to make it happen faster by bypassing standard delays. If a bakery has a big, last-minute order for cupcakes, they might fast-track production by bumping it to the front of the line. Synonyms for the verb fast-track include expedite and accelerate. The term originated in the railroad industry, referring to express lanes for high-speed trains. Today, it's used in business, legal, and career contexts. If a company decides to fast-track a new product, it will allocate extra resources and skip nonessential steps to beat competitors. The word is used as an adjective, too, often for employees on an accelerated career path: "Those fast-track executives keep getting promoted without much experience on the job!"

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fast track fast-track

Matt Freese was no ordinary Ivy League student trying to fast track his professional career.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Six years after the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the world and put society on the fast track for self-destruction, the metaphor initially feels overbearing, another indication that Spielberg is laying it on too thick.

From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2026

Coope, was initially given a fast track to the semi-final show after judge KSI pressed his golden buzzer.

From BBC ● May 31, 2026

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

He was going to have the luxury of a hard, fast track, but his problem would he traffic.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

That didn’t put Ryan Fox on a fast-track to stardom, though.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

The newly public space giant will benefit from new fast-track entry rules to join the exchange’s index of its largest listings on Tuesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

“We have already staged cleanup equipment onsite,” read the statement, which also urged the city to fast-track any permits necessary for cleanup.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

The Met, British Retail Consortium and Retail Trust have jointly written to the Home Office and Ministry of Justice to call for fast-track courts so repeat offenders appear within 72 hours of charge.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

A compost pile is actually a fast-track method of changing crude organic materials into something resembling soil, called humus.

From Organic Gardener's Composting by Solomon, Steve

Related Words

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