Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

sped

American  
[sped] / spɛd /

verb

  1. a simple past tense and past participle of speed.

sped British  
/ spɛd /

verb

  1. a past tense and past participle of speed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They attempted to stop the suspect, but he sped away, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Authorities have deployed more ferries and sped up loading and unloading procedures try and ease the congestion, the transport ministry said Monday.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

The supernova appeared to produce a strange signal that sped up over time, something he described as a "chirp."

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

In a heavily-redacted complaint, the administrator alleged Monday in Manhattan’s federal court that Jane Street used material nonpublic information from Terraform insiders to front-run trading that sped up Terraform’s demise.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

He didn’t orbit earth—he sped 116 miles up, reached space, and arced back through the atmosphere.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

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.