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.
Beni Baningime was invalided out of the action, and in rapid fire Michael Steinwender, Stephen Kingsley and Alexandros Kyziridis went down.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
Now for some rapid fire recommendations: Since you’re into theater, my colleague Lisa Boone suggests the Pasadena Playhouse, a Tony Award-winning theater, which is close to home for you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026
The Internet Freedom Foundation said the compressed timeline would transform platforms into "rapid fire censors".
From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2026
We’ve all eaten an extra hot dog at a Fourth of July barbecue — but only the greats can stomach 50 dogs in rapid fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2025
She typed away on a keyboard, red nails tap-tapping in rapid fire.
From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin
His particular brand of cultural fluency — a rapid-fire mix of food, fashion, basketball, politics and pop culture — is what made the “Gua Bao Bad Boy” impossible to categorize.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Following the emergency meeting earlier this year, Cursor began pushing out rapid-fire upgrades to Composer.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026
The “pattern day trader” rule, implemented in 2001, officially ends Thursday, making rapid-fire stock and options trades easier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
OpenAI released a new model it touts as its best yet for handling research work like making improved versions of itself, as rapid-fire releases by AI rivals pick up pace.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
I felt extremely shy, wary of committing a faux pas, and unequipped to participate in the high-flown and rapid-fire conversations.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
