Sprint in workplace contexts is a one to four week chunk of focused work, especially in Agile software teams. Standard tech jargon. Not concerning. Outside work, sprint just means a fast run. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
sprint
A short, fixed-length cycle (typically 1–2 weeks) of focused work on a defined set of tasks.
sprɪntDocumented since 1980s1980sGen XhistoricalCurrent317 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Seen in the wild
3 citations · last seen May 2026
Etymology timeline
Born ~1980 · 1 year of recorded useGen X eraSee decade cohort →
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Sprinter's guide to #Plone 7 🏃 Heading to the Beethoven Sprint? @sneridagh.dev runs a fast-paced 101 on Plone 7 architecture so you can hack from day one. 📅 Wed May 6 — 16:00 CEST / 14:00 UTC / 11:00 BRT 📺 www.yo…
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BlueskyMay 2026
🔮 Aries's May 05 Celestial Guidance: Sprint energy is high, but the Jira queue is higher. A code review clash may slow launch velocity; patience with legacy spaghetti and a stubborn AndroidStudio bug turns friction i…
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BlueskyMay 2026
"AuDHD burnout is so real – the pressure to 'perform' like a machine when our brains literally work differently. What helped me was reframing 'consistency' as 'rhythms' instead of rigid schedules – some weeks the rhyt…
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Wikipedia: 100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions.
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Wikipedia: NASCAR Cup Series
Sprint acquired Nextel in 2005, and in 2008 the series was renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (2008–2016).
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Definitions
Global
+567100%
#1·Apr 24, 2026Global
A short, fixed-length cycle (typically 1–2 weeks) of focused work on a defined set of tasks. The basic unit of Agile planning. Sprints are meant to be time-boxed — what you didn't finish rolls to the next one. "Sprint 47" eventually sounds more tired than productive.
"What's in this sprint?"
Origin: Modern corporate-speak — origins in 1980s American management culture.
For parents
Sprint in workplace contexts is a one to four week chunk of focused work, especially in Agile software teams. Standard tech jargon. Not concerning. Outside work, sprint just means a fast run. If your kid uses it constantly, ask them where they first heard it, not to police their speech but to understand which online community they are in. Most slang of this kind moves through TikTok and group chats, so seeing it in your child's vocabulary just means they are plugged into normal teen internet culture.
For ESL learners
Sprint in business contexts is an Agile project-management term meaning a short, time-boxed work cycle (typically two weeks). Use in software, design, and product contexts. Formal equivalent: "iteration" or "work cycle." Common non-native mistake: using sprint loosely to mean any short period; in Agile contexts it specifically refers to a planned, retrospective-bookended cycle. The general athletic sense is also valid in other contexts.
Cluster: exhausted
Heard in the wild
“Sprinter's guide to #Plone 7 🏃 Heading to the Beethoven Sprint? @sneridagh.dev runs a fast-paced 101 on Plone 7 architecture so you can hack from day one. 📅 Wed May 6 — 16:00 CEST / 14:00 UTC / 11:00 BRT 📺 www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyfP... #OSS #React”
— Bluesky· May 2026“🔮 Aries's May 05 Celestial Guidance: Sprint energy is high, but the Jira queue is higher. A code review clash may slow launch velocity; patience with legacy spaghetti and a stubborn AndroidStudio bug turns friction into momentum. #techbro, #horoscope, #astrology, #Aries”
— Bluesky· May 2026“"AuDHD burnout is so real – the pressure to 'perform' like a machine when our brains literally work differently. What helped me was reframing 'consistency' as 'rhythms' instead of rigid schedules – some weeks the rhythm is a sprint, others it's a slow walk, and both are valid."”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions.”
“Sprint acquired Nextel in 2005, and in 2008 the series was renamed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (2008–2016).”
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Show 4 more dictionary-style senses (imported)
Global
#2·May 2, 2026Global
To run, cycle, etc. at top speed for a short period.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#3·May 2, 2026Global
A burst of speed or activity.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#4·May 2, 2026Global
In , a period of development of a fixed time that is preceded and followed by meetings.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Global
#5·May 2, 2026Global
A short race at top speed.
Source: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "sprint" (S)
spring feverspring greensspringhaasspringlockspring salmonSprinklingssprint checksprint energySprintersprint failsprint maxxingsprint mode
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