# speed up

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/speed-up
Updated: 2026-10-23

## Definition

to go faster or to make something happen more quickly.

For teachers: to increase the rate of motion or the pace of a process. The verb functions both transitively and intransitively.

## Examples

- The car began to speed up as it reached the highway.
- We need to speed up the hiring process if we want to find a new manager by next month.
- Technological innovations in the late twentieth century served to speed up global communication to a degree previously thought impossible.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The driver speeded up to pass the truck." but "The driver sped up to pass the truck." — while 'speeded' is sometimes used in specific legal contexts like 'speeding ticket', the irregular past tense 'sped' is the standard form for this phrasal verb.

## Usage notes

- when used transitively, the object can be placed between 'speed' and 'up' or after the particle.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'accelerate' (more formal/technical) and 'hurry up' (often used as an imperative to people); 'speed up' is the standard neutral choice for both objects and processes.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.