1
as in velocity
a high rate of movement or performance
we dashed off the remaining paperwork with as much speed as possible so we could leave for the long weekend
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in favorite
a person or thing that is preferred over others
that kind of old-fashioned horror movie is just my speed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to race
to proceed or move quickly
a bullet train speeding across the lush countryside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of speed
Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026
The robot might try to spin a joint at infinite speed, for instance, resulting in a sudden, unsafe movement.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 26 Apr. 2026
Thomas Black, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
The Justice Department announced a series of actions on Friday aimed at restoring and expanding the use of the federal death penalty, including new execution methods and efforts to speed up capital cases.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speed
Noun
Drive at a reduced speed during wet weather.
—Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2026
The robot might try to spin a joint at infinite speed, for instance, resulting in a sudden, unsafe movement.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
Today, computer simulation and reams of telemetry data speed up designs and eliminate most of the guesswork.
—Thomas Black, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
The Justice Department announced a series of actions on Friday aimed at restoring and expanding the use of the federal death penalty, including new execution methods and efforts to speed up capital cases.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for speed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for speed
Noun
-
How the stars in a binary system orbit one another — their orbital period and velocity — depends on the masses of the two stars.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
But Lamar’s velocity reflects his ambition.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Flagg and Knueppel traded places as betting favorites during the season, but Flagg’s 96-point outburst over two games on the second-to-last weekend might have tipped the scales.—
Schuyler Dixon,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Lines to see the fan favorites — Griner, second-year guard Saniya Rivers, former UConn star Aaliyah Edwards — wrapped around the length of the court for nearly an hour.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Beyond that, two of the highlights of the horse racing calendar take place at Churchill Downs on Friday and Saturday, while the Formula One season resumes after a long hiatus with the Miami Grand Prix.—
The Athletic Live Team,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Police said the suspect had a shotgun, a handgun and knives, and stormed the lobby, running past security barricades as Secret Service agents raced toward him.—
Calvin Woodward,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But, curiously, participants had the highest solve rate when the puzzles appeared in ordinary dreams, not lucid ones.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
1 May 2026
-
For example, through the department’s Civil Rights Data Collection, Cohen and Smith Richards were able to determine that a special-education district in Illinois had the highest rate of student arrests of any school in the country.—
Charles Ornstein,
ProPublica,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Naming one clear boundary or preference shifts the tone.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
The format varies widely depending on access and preference.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Trump being hurried off the stage unharmed and guests ducking for cover underneath their tables.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Might as well hurry up and shoot.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The club travels to Portland on Wednesday night for a match against the second-place Thorns, the team that eliminated San Diego from last year’s playoffs.—
Ryan Finley,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, be aware that the next six years will bring urges to impulsively travel, and do exciting things to give yourself an adventurous world.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And in 2024, 38 of the 40 edge-rushing prospects had longer arms; the only ones to measure shorter were a pair of twins from UCLA — Gabriel and Grayson Murphy — neither of whom is on an NFL roster.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Policymakers in Illinois must know that rushing to judgment, as these professors suggest, will do immeasurable harm to children across our state for generations.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Speed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/speed. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
