Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the literal words you say. People use them every day to make talking and writing much more colorful and exciting. In this lesson, you will learn a wonderful collection of idioms related to running fast, sprinting quickly, and moving with speed.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for running fast that mean racing swiftly, dashing away, and moving at top speed. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Running Fast
1. Like a bat out of hell
Meaning: This idiom means moving or running at an extremely fast and frightening speed.
For Example: When the recess bell rang, he bolted out the classroom door like a bat out of hell. / The startled rabbit dashed across the lawn like a bat out of hell.
Other Ways to Say: Super fast / Blazing speed
2. Lightning fast
Meaning: This idiom describes moving with the incredible speed of a flash of lightning.
For Example: The star athlete ran the hundred-meter dash with lightning fast movement. / Her fingers moved across the keyboard with lightning fast precision.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely quick / Swift
3. Like greased lightning
Meaning: This idiom means moving with incredible, slippery speed without any delay.
For Example: When the race started, the sprinter took off down the track like greased lightning. / He packed up his backpack like greased lightning so he wouldn’t miss the bus.
Other Ways to Say: Super fast / Instantly quick
4. Break land speed records
Meaning: This idiom means running or traveling faster than anyone has ever managed before.
For Example: During the school track meet, she ran so fast it felt like she broke land speed records. / The bicycle rider zoomed down the hill trying to break land speed records.
Other Ways to Say: Run extremely fast / Set records
5. Fly like the wind
Meaning: This idiom means running swiftly and smoothly, as if carried by a rushing gust of air.
For Example: The coach told the relay runners to fly like the wind around the track. / When the puppy chased the ball, he seemed to fly like the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Run swiftly / Move light-footed
6. Leave in the dust
Meaning: This idiom means running so fast past someone that they are left far behind you.
For Example: During the final sprint, he zoomed past his competitors and left them in the dust. / Hard work and daily practice will leave your old scores in the dust.
Other Ways to Say: Outrun easily / Leave far behind
7. Run rings around
Meaning: This idiom means running circles around someone because you are much faster and more agile.
For Example: During soccer practice, the speedy forward could run rings around the defense. / Her fast reading skills let her run rings around the puzzle sheet.
Other Ways to Say: Outpace easily / Run circles around
8. Burn rubber
Meaning: This idiom means accelerating a vehicle or running away with rapid speed.
For Example: The race car drivers got ready to burn rubber as soon as the green light flashed. / Hurry up and burn rubber if we want to catch the school bus.
Other Ways to Say: Speed away / Accelerate fast
9. Make tracks
Meaning: This idiom means running away or departing very quickly from a place.
For Example: When it started pouring rain, we decided to make tracks for the porch. / The coach told the team to make tracks to the locker room.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry away / Leave fast
10. Split second
Meaning: This idiom describes a tiny fraction of time during a fast-moving sprint or race.
For Example: Winning the running race came down to a split second at the finish line. / He made a split second choice to dodge the rolling ball.
Other Ways to Say: Instant / Moment
11. At breakneck speed
Meaning: This idiom means moving at a dangerous, incredibly fast pace.
For Example: The skateboarder zoomed down the steep ramp at breakneck speed. / Do not ride your bicycle at breakneck speed around sharp corners.
Other Ways to Say: Dangerously fast / Rapid pace
12. Full tilt
Meaning: This idiom means moving forward with maximum possible speed and energy.
For Example: The puppy ran full tilt across the backyard toward the thrown tennis ball. / She rode her bicycle full tilt down the straight path.
Other Ways to Say: Maximum speed / Full speed
13. Like a house on fire
Meaning: This idiom can describe doing something with intense speed, energy, and excitement.
For Example: The project moved along like a house on fire once everyone started helping. / He ran across the playground like a house on fire.
Other Ways to Say: Very fast / Rapidly
14. Turn on the jets
Meaning: This idiom means suddenly increasing your running speed to race ahead.
For Example: Seeing the finish line ahead, he decided to turn on the jets and sprint. / Turn on the jets if you want to win this relay race.
Other Ways to Say: Accelerate / Speed up
15. Put the pedal to the metal
Meaning: This idiom means pushing forward with absolute maximum speed.
For Example: To catch the final bus, we had to put the pedal to the metal and run. / Put the pedal to the metal during the last lap of the race.
Other Ways to Say: Go full speed / Accelerate hard
16. Run for your life
Meaning: This idiom means running as fast as possible to escape danger or a scary situation.
For Example: When the swarm of bees appeared, we had to run for our lives. / Playing tag makes you feel like you need to run for your life.
Other Ways to Say: Escape fast / Sprint away
17. Scram
Meaning: This idiom or slang word means leaving or running away from a place immediately.
For Example: The mischief-making kids heard footsteps and decided to scram behind the fence. / Hurry up and scram before the bell rings.
Other Ways to Say: Leave quickly / Run off
18. Hotfoot it
Meaning: This idiom means walking or running away in a great hurry.
For Example: We had to hotfoot it across the parking lot to stay dry in the rain. / Hotfoot it home before dinner gets cold.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry / Run fast
19. Tear across
Meaning: This idiom means running across a field or room with wild, fast energy.
For Example: The excited dog loved to tear across the grassy soccer field. / Children love to tear across the playground during recess.
Other Ways to Say: Rush across / Dash
20. Dart away
Meaning: This idiom means moving with a sudden, quick burst of running speed.
For Example: The frightened rabbit decided to dart away into the tall bushes. / Watch the kitten dart away with a ball of yarn.
Other Ways to Say: Bolt / Sprint suddenly
21. Dash off
Meaning: This idiom means leaving a place quickly by running or hurrying away.
For Example: He had to dash off to soccer practice right after finishing school. / She grabbed her jacket and decided to dash off.
Other Ways to Say: Leave quickly / Rush away
22. Bolt out
Meaning: This idiom means exiting a room or building with a sudden, fast run.
For Example: The moment the lunch bell rang, students began to bolt out the doors. / Do not bolt out into the street without looking.
Other Ways to Say: Rush out / Sprint away
23. Zoom by
Meaning: This idiom means passing someone or something with a loud, fast rush.
For Example: The race cars zoomed by the grandstands with a loud roar. / Bicyclists zoomed by us on the paved trail.
Other Ways to Say: Fly past / Speed past
24. Whizz past
Meaning: This idiom means moving past a location with a fast, whizzing sound and blur.
For Example: The fast skater managed to whizz past all other competitors. / A speeding bicycle whizzed past the park bench.
Other Ways to Say: Zoom past / Rush by
25. Flash by
Meaning: This idiom means passing by so quickly that you barely have time to see it.
For Example: The scenic landscape seemed to flash by the train window. / Vacation days always flash by too quickly.
Other Ways to Say: Pass quickly / Blur by
26. Streaking
Meaning: This idiom or action word describes moving in a straight, incredibly fast line.
For Example: Shooting stars were streaking across the dark night sky. / The red race car came streaking down the track.
Other Ways to Say: Racing fast / Shooting along
27. Zipping along
Meaning: This idiom means moving smoothly and quickly along a path or road.
For Example: The cyclists were zipping along the bike path before sunset. / Our science project is zipping along nicely.
Other Ways to Say: Moving fast / Progressing swiftly
28. Speed along
Meaning: This idiom means traveling forward with great momentum and velocity.
For Example: The toy train started to speed along the plastic track. / Runners began to speed along the final straightaway.
Other Ways to Say: Move quickly / Race forward
29. Rushing headlong
Meaning: This idiom means running forward quickly without pausing or looking around.
For Example: The puppy went rushing headlong into the pile of leaves. / Avoid rushing headlong into tasks without planning.
Other Ways to Say: Charging blindly / Sprinting fast
30. Charging forward
Meaning: This idiom means moving ahead with strong, powerful, and fast running strides.
For Example: The football team started charging forward when the whistle blew. / Charging forward helps you win running races.
Other Ways to Say: Pushing ahead / Sprinting forward
31. Sprinting like mad
Meaning: This idiom means running with maximum wild speed to reach a goal.
For Example: Seeing the bus approach, she started sprinting like mad down the street. / He was sprinting like mad to catch the flying disc.
Other Ways to Say: Running wildly / Fast sprint
32. Outpace
Meaning: This idiom means running faster than someone else to stay ahead.
For Example: Training every day helped him outpace everyone on the track team. / Cheetahs easily outpace most other animals in grasslands.
Other Ways to Say: Run faster than / Leave behind
33. Outrun
Meaning: This idiom means defeating someone in a running race by moving with greater speed.
For Example: He tried to outrun his older brother across the backyard lawn. / No one could outrun her during track practice.
Other Ways to Say: Beat running / Leave behind
34. Fly past
Meaning: This idiom means moving past an object with extreme aerial or running speed.
For Example: The runner managed to fly past the finish line in record time. / Clouds seemed to fly past the tall skyscraper windows.
Other Ways to Say: Zoom by / Speed past
35. Dart across
Meaning: This idiom means running quickly from one side of a space to another.
For Example: The squirrel tried to dart across the garden path safely. / Always look before you dart across the playground.
Other Ways to Say: Run across / Dash
36. Scoot
Meaning: This idiom means moving or running away quickly, often in a playful or hurried manner.
For Example: The kids had to scoot inside when dinner was ready. / Scoot over so your friend has room on the bench.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry / Move fast
37. Hustle
Meaning: This idiom means moving with quick, energetic steps to save time.
For Example: The coach told the basketball players to hustle back on defense. / We need to hustle if we want to catch the movie premiere.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry up / Move fast
38. Step on it
Meaning: This idiom means speeding up or running faster to reach a destination on time.
For Example: Dad told us to step on it if we wanted ice cream before the shop closed. / Step on it during the last lap of the race.
Other Ways to Say: Speed up / Hurry
39. Double time
Meaning: This idiom means moving at twice your normal speed to finish quickly.
For Example: The instructor told the hiking group to move in double time before sunset. / Finish cleaning in double time so we can play games.
Other Ways to Say: Fast pace / Hurry up
40. High tail it
Meaning: This idiom means running away from a location as fast as your legs can carry you.
For Example: When the sprinkler turned on, we had to high tail it across the grass. / High tail it home before the storm arrives.
Other Ways to Say: Run away fast / Flee quickly
41. Run like the wind
Meaning: This idiom means moving across the ground with incredible speed and grace.
For Example: The track star trained hard so she could run like the wind on race day. / The happy dog loved to run like the wind in the open park.
Other Ways to Say: Sprint swiftly / Move fast
42. Move at warp speed
Meaning: This idiom humorously means moving with science-fiction levels of extreme speed.
For Example: Cleaning up the art supplies made everyone move at warp speed. / The computer downloaded the game file at warp speed.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely fast / Super speed
43. Move like greased lightning
Meaning: This idiom means performing an action or running with slippery, rapid speed.
For Example: He grabbed his jacket and moved like greased lightning to catch the bus. / The chef chopped vegetables moving like greased lightning.
Other Ways to Say: Super fast / Instant action
44. Burn up the track
Meaning: This idiom means running with blazing speed around a racing oval.
For Example: The varsity runners were ready to burn up the track during regionals. / Practice hard so you can burn up the track.
Other Ways to Say: Run fast / Dominate race
45. Blaze a trail
Meaning: This idiom can mean running so fast you lead the way, or pioneering a new path.
For Example: The lead runner started to blaze a trail across the cross-country course. / Innovators blaze a trail in technology.
Other Ways to Say: Lead the way / Run ahead
46. Fleet-footed
Meaning: This idiom describes someone who has fast, nimble running feet.
For Example: The fleet-footed soccer player dribbled past defenders with ease. / Being fleet-footed helps during track and field events.
Other Ways to Say: Fast runner / Nimble
47. Swift-footed
Meaning: This idiom describes moving with great speed and agility in footraces.
For Example: The swift-footed messenger delivered the note across town in minutes. / Ancient heroes in stories were often described as swift-footed.
Other Ways to Say: Fast runner / Quick
48. Quick on your feet
Meaning: This idiom means reacting rapidly and moving swiftly in sports or games.
For Example: Playing tennis requires you to be quick on your feet at all times. / Being quick on your feet helps during tag games.
Other Ways to Say: Agile / Fast reacting
49. Nimble
Meaning: This idiom or descriptive word means moving quickly, lightly, and easily.
For Example: The gymnast showed nimble movements on the balance beam. / Small squirrels are very nimble climbing trees.
Other Ways to Say: Agile / Quick
50. Zippy
Meaning: This idiom describes moving with lively speed and energetic momentum.
For Example: The remote-controlled car had a zippy motor that raced across the floor. / She had a zippy running style during relay practice.
Other Ways to Say: Energetic speed / Lively fast
51. Rapid-fire
Meaning: This idiom describes performing fast actions in rapid succession without pauses.
For Example: The trivia game featured rapid-fire questions that required quick answers. / He made rapid-fire dashes across the basketball court.
Other Ways to Say: Fast succession / Quick-fire
52. Pacing fast
Meaning: This idiom means maintaining a high-speed rhythm during a long distance run.
For Example: Running the marathon required pacing fast without tiring out early. / Keeping a steady, pacing fast stride helps win races.
Other Ways to Say: Fast rhythm / Quick pace
53. Speeding bullet
Meaning: This idiom describes moving across a space with the unstoppable velocity of a bullet.
For Example: The roller coaster shot down the track like a speeding bullet. / He ran across the lawn like a speeding bullet.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely fast / Bullet speed
54. Shooting star
Meaning: This idiom describes moving across the sky or track with brief, brilliant speed.
For Example: The runner crossed the finish line looking like a bright shooting star. / We watched a shooting star streak across the night sky.
Other Ways to Say: Brief flash / Fast streak
55. Rocket past
Meaning: This idiom means moving past someone with the powerful acceleration of a rocket.
For Example: The blue car started to rocket past slower traffic on the highway. / He used a burst of energy to rocket past the runner ahead.
Other Ways to Say: Zoom past / Accelerate fast
56. Turbocharged
Meaning: This idiom describes having extra power, energy, and speed added to your movement.
For Example: Eating a healthy breakfast made him feel turbocharged for morning sports. / The toy car had a turbocharged motor.
Other Ways to Say: Extra fast / Supercharged
57. Supersonic
Meaning: This idiom describes moving faster than the speed of sound, or metaphorically very fast.
For Example: The jet plane flew overhead at supersonic speeds. / She felt like she was running at supersonic speeds during tag.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely fast / Sound speed
58. Blazing trail
Meaning: This idiom means racing forward so fast you leave a clear path behind.
For Example: The skiers were blazing trail down the snowy mountain slope. / The track star spent the afternoon blazing trail.
Other Ways to Say: Racing ahead / Moving fast
59. Dash like the wind
Meaning: This idiom means running across a field with swift, breezy speed.
For Example: The children loved to dash like the wind across the sandy beach. / When the whistle blew, they began to dash like the wind.
Other Ways to Say: Run swiftly / Sprint
60. Sprint to the finish
Meaning: This idiom means using all remaining energy to run as fast as possible at the end of a race.
For Example: Save some energy so you can sprint to the finish line. / The tied race ended with a thrilling sprint to the finish.
Other Ways to Say: Final dash / End sprint
Exercise to Practice
- When the recess bell rang, he bolted out the classroom door ________.
- The star athlete ran the hundred-meter dash with ________ movement.
- When the race started, the sprinter took off down the track ________.
- During the school track meet, she ran so fast it felt like she ________.
- The coach told the relay runners to ________ around the track.
- During the final sprint, he zoomed past his competitors and ________.
- During soccer practice, the speedy forward could ________ the defense.
- The race car drivers got ready to ________ as soon as the green light flashed.
- When it started pouring rain, we decided to ________ for the porch.
- Winning the running race came down to ________ at the finish line.
- The skateboarder zoomed down the steep ramp ________.
- The puppy ran ________ across the backyard toward the thrown tennis ball.
- The project moved along ________ once everyone started helping.
- Seeing the finish line ahead, he decided to ________ and sprint.
- To catch the final bus, we had to ________ and run.
Answer Key
- like a bat out of hell
- lightning fast
- like greased lightning
- broke land speed records
- fly like the wind
- left them in the dust
- run rings around
- burn rubber
- make tracks
- a split second
- at breakneck speed
- full tilt
- like a house on fire
- turn on the jets
- put the pedal to the metal
Conclusion
Learning idioms for running fast makes describing speed and quick movement more exciting. These expressions help you talk about racing, sports, and hurrying through tasks in a colorful way. They can make your stories and everyday conversations more lively and engaging. Try using these phrases when chatting with friends or writing stories at school. With practice, you can make your language more natural, expressive, and fun.
