speed-up

[speed-uhp]

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.

speed up

verb

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

noun

1. an instance of this; acceleration

Usage

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of speed up¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

Experts' views on the changes are mixed, with some arguing the abolition of stamp duty in particular could speed up the housing market but cost billions in lost tax revenue.

From BBC

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokeswoman, Lisa Smart, told the BBC that Labour should be "speeding up asylum processing to bring down the backlog and end hotel use once and for all".

From BBC

Since 2023, the fast-food chain has introduced the technology at over 500 locations in the US, with the aim of reducing mistakes and speeding up orders.

From BBC

Leaders signaled that more belt-tightening was on the way, saying they would speed up plans to consolidate IT teams and streamline other administrative functions to funnel limited funds to teaching and research.

From Los Angeles Times

The deputy council leader also welcomed the overhaul plans from the UK government, saying the process has "always needed to be speeded up".

From BBC

Related Words

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