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• speed-up
  speed-up

  noun

  an increasing of speed.
• speed up
  speed up

  verb

  to increase or cause to increase in speed or rate; accelerate

speed-up

American  

[speed-uhp] / ˈspidˌʌp /

noun

1. an increasing of speed.

2. an imposed increase in the rate of production of a worker without a corresponding increase in the rate of pay.

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speed up British  

verb

1. to increase or cause to increase in speed or rate; accelerate

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noun

1. an instance of this; acceleration

speed up Idioms  

1. Accelerate, expedite, increase the rate, as in The car speeded up as it went downhill, or It's difficult to speed up production without new equipment. [Late 1800s]

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Usage

The past tense and past participle of speed up is speeded up , not sped up

Etymology

Origin of speed-up

First recorded in 1920–25; noun use of verb phrase speed up

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

speed-up speed up

This speed-up could have been caused by ocean conditions, the effect of which is not yet well understood.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

Hybrid computing often leads to a speed-up in a particular task, as was the case here.

From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026

Derek Lessard of TD Cowen says in a report that this acquisition should help speed-up M&A and deliver more meaningful synergies over time, especially once the new business is integrated into the broader company’s operations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025

That speed-up carried over to the postseason, where nine-inning World Series games averaged 3:01, the fastest since 1996.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 16, 2023

It is my hope, indeed, that the new speed-up of production will cause many businesses which now pay below the minimum standards to bring their wages up.

From The Fireside Chats of Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Epstein said his group appreciates some of the steps taken by Bass to speed up housing production.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged the US to speed up deliveries of its Patriots - the only effective weapon in downing Russia's deadly ballistic missiles.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Its progression can speed up or slow down depending on how entropy changes within the system.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026

The slowness is part of the fascination of baseball, even though recent attempts have been made to speed up the game.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

“He says you’ll have to speed up or he can’t keep you on.”

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson

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Related Words

• abate
• allay
• ameliorate
• calm
• expedite
• facilitate
• further
• improve
• lessen
• lift
• mitigate
• moderate
• promote
• relax
• relieve
• simplify
• soften
• soothe
• speed

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