characterized by, delivered, or occurring in rapid succession.
rapid-fire questions; rapid-fire events.
Military. discharging in rapid fire.
rapid-fire rifles.
discharging, operating, etc., at a rate more rapid than normal.
a rapid-fire staple gun.
firing shots rapidly
denoting medium-calibre mounted guns designed for rapid fire
done, delivered, or occurring in rapid succession
First recorded in 1885–90
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sanz said the rapid fire had been complex and the majority or even all of the victims may have been foreign nationals.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
When firefighters first arrived, they were quickly forced out of the building due to “extremely rapid fire growth” and assumed a defensive position, battling the blaze with high-volume hoses, according to the Ontario Fire Department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
The Internet Freedom Foundation said the compressed timeline would transform platforms into "rapid fire censors".
From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2026
The excessive and prolonged heat will also create conditions that experts say can fuel extreme and rapid fire growth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2025
She’s like me; I know that her synapses must be on rapid fire, but my mom’s practiced meditation for years.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
Following the emergency meeting earlier this year, Cursor began pushing out rapid-fire upgrades to Composer.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026
It just got easier to place rapid-fire trades in stocks and options, as “pattern day trader” restrictions start going off the books at brokers like Robinhood Markets and Webull.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Instead of looking silly, O'Sullivan make two century breaks in three rapid-fire entertaining frames before an enthralled Crucible crowd, which included former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
Simpson, standing at his side, jumped in with a rapid-fire explanation of what had just happened, throwing her band under the bus and not making much sense at all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 2, 2026
Jude rapid-fire knocks, doesn’t wait for me to say come in, just swings open the door.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
