sprint

American  

[sprint] / sprɪnt /

verb (used without object)

• sprints,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sprinted,
  past participle,  past
• sprinting
  present participle

1. to race or move at full speed, especially for a short distance, as in running, rowing, etc.

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verb (used with object)

• sprints,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sprinted,
  past participle,  past
• sprinting
  present participle

1. to traverse at full speed.

   to sprint a half mile.

noun

• sprints
  plural

1. a short race at full speed.

2. a burst of speed at any point during a long race, as near the finish line.

3. a brief spell of great activity.

4. a short work cycle of fixed length during which specific goals, tasks, etc., need to be completed by a team: often used in agile development.

sprint British  

/ sprɪnt /

noun

1. athletics a short race run at top speed, such as the 100 metres

2. a fast finishing speed at the end of a longer race, as in running or cycling, etc

3. any quick run

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verb

1. to go at top speed, as in running, cycling, etc

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sprinter
  noun
• outsprint
  verb (used with object)

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sprints
  plural

Participles

• sprinting
  present
• sprinted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sprint
  simple
• sprints
  simple
• have sprinted
  perfect
• has sprinted
  perfect
• am sprinting
  progressive
• are sprinting
  progressive
• is sprinting
  progressive
• have been sprinting
  perfect progressive
• has been sprinting
  perfect progressive

Past

• sprinted
  simple
• had sprinted
  perfect
• was sprinting
  progressive
• were sprinting
  progressive
• had been sprinting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sprint
  simple
• will have sprinted
  perfect
• will be sprinting
  progressive
• will have been sprinting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of sprint

First recorded in 1560–70; perhaps continuing Old English sprintan (unrecorded; compare gesprintan “to emit”); cognate with Old Norse spretta, Old High German sprinzan “to jump up”

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Explanation

When you run really fast, you sprint. You and your sister might sprint to the bus stop, racing to see who can get there first. In the sport of track and field, a sprint is a short race that's run at top speed the whole way. Two professional cyclists also sprint when they race on bikes that start out side-by-side. If you notice a swarm of angry wasps heading your direction, you can sprint indoors, hoping you move faster than they do. Sprint has a Scandinavian root, possibly the Old Norse word spretta, "to jump up."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sprint sprints sprinted sprinting

They thought that once they survived the marathon of the regular season, the sprint of the postseason would play to their strengths.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Capewell, 28, took two victories against China's Jiang Yulu in the best-of-three quarter-final, and will be joined Finucane, who won the sprint title in 2023 and 2024, in the last four.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

What would have been nine points for the team from the sprint therefore became one.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

He had been expected to contend for three medals in the team sprint, individual sprint and keirin.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

I sprint off as fast as I can, and realize Jonesy is right beside me.

From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell

Working with Tony Villani, the founder of XPE Sports, Kelce focused on “game-speed drills” to maximize his pace when he’s running actual routes, not just reeling off sprints in shorts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Enzo Maresca's squad have also recorded the lowest number of sprints in the division.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

In the Premier League this season only four teams have covered less distance than the Red Devils, and just three teams have produced fewer sprints.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

He sprints across the Buckeyes’ practice field, snatching balls from every angle with either hand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Then, from out of nowhere, a man with stringy reddish-blond hair, in a dark brown T-shirt, sprints toward us from the other side of the street.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

Every idling minute was income lost: One driver sprinted from his truck into the concourse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

Samantha dropped the bat and sprinted toward first base.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

Humanoids sprinted faster than Usain Bolt and jumped 11 feet in the air from a standing position.

From Slate ● Sep. 27, 2026

Agathe Chateau Frilloux sprinted down a long road parallel to the Champs Elysee, her daughter and son running close behind, only just making it to their designated gate before the set cut-off time.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

He sprinted down the length of the ship, hurtling below deck to the captain’s quarters.

From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook

And they started brightly, with Katie Buchanan collecting the ball on the wing, beating a defender and sprinting over the line to give them a fifth-minute lead in her first international start.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

U.S. importers are sprinting to the finish of a prolonged peak season this year, the WSJ Logistics Report’s Liz Young writes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

It was an audacious finish, one that highlighted Gabriel's thought process given the most obvious route to goal was either a low shot or sprinting round the keeper.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

Video captured by KBAK/KBFX showed crowds of spectators and football players in full gear sprinting toward the exits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

And sure enough, someone is sprinting through the flames.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

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