warp speed

noun

Synonyms of warp speed next

: the highest possible speed

warp-speed

ˈwȯrp-ˈspēd

adjective

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Warp speed is an example of a phrase that entered the public consciousness through science fiction and eventually gained enough popularity to end up in the dictionary. The expression was popularized on the science-fiction show Star Trek in the 1960s. On the show, warp speed referred to a specific concept, namely the idea of faster-than-light travel. Within a relatively short period of time, Star Trek gained a devoted and intense following. Fans were soon discussing the fictional concepts of the show, including warp speed, with great enthusiasm. Eventually, the term warp speed was adopted by the general population. In the process, however, it lost its specific fictional meaning and came to mean simply "the highest possible speed."

Examples of warp speed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Energy Singularity, the start-up in Shanghai, is just one example of China’s warp speed. —

Ella Nilsen, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024 And while the series peers into various factors that contributed to Aaron Hernandez’s undoing, the man himself remains a cipher: driven by desires, and pressured by his ascent from poor teen to rich celebrity at warp speed. —

Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2024 What Sun in Virgo Square Jupiter in Gemini Means for Your Zodiac Sign Libra (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22) Life is moving at warp speed, Libra! —

Kyle Thomas, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2024 Its general aura just smoothed out at warp speeds, like that part in the opening credits of Star Trek where the spaceship hangs for a moment and then disappears into deep space. —

Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Europe, 9 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for warp speed

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'warp speed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.