sprint

1 of 2

verb

ˈsprint 

sprinted; sprinting; sprints

intransitive verb

: to run or go at top speed especially for a short distance

sprinter noun

sprint

2 of 2

noun

1

: the act or an instance of sprinting

2

a

: dash sense 3b

b

: a burst of speed

Synonyms

Verb

• dash
• gallop
• jog
• run
• scamper
• trip
• trot

Examples of sprint in a Sentence

Verb

The bicycle racers sprinted for the finish line.

he sprinted off to class so as to avoid being late

Noun

He made a sprint for the finish line.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Imagine trying to charm even small change from grim-faced New Yorkers trying to sprint in and out of overpacked subway cars. —Scott Simon, NPR, 12 Apr. 2025

Firing a smart pass ahead to Lautaro Martínez on the halfway line, Barella sprinted forwards to receive it back, picking out the run of Carlos Augusto who laid on the match-winning goal for Davide Frattesi. —Adam Digby, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025

Noun

Meyers is the fastest man on the team, but none of the other three will set sprint records anytime soon. —Chandler Rome, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025

But as industry sprints toward artificial general intelligence (AGI), one question lingers in the background: what happens to humans? —Tracey Follows, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English (Scots) sprenten to spring, leap, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialect sprinta to jump, hop; akin to Old High German sprinzan to jump up

First Known Use

Verb

1847, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sprint

• sprint car
• wind sprint

Rhymes for sprint

• clint
• dint
• glint
• hint
• lint
• mint
• print
• quint
• quinte
• splint
• squint
• stint

Kids Definition

sprint

1 of 2 verb

ˈsprint 

: to run at top speed especially for a short distance

sprinter noun

sprint

2 of 2 noun

1

: a short run at top speed

2

: a race over a short distance