speed by

phrasal verb·1 sense·particle by

Meanings

1

Move past very quickly

Passing

Why “by”? Something moves near a point and continues past it.

“A motorcycle sped by us.”
A motorcycle went past us at high speed.
“A train sped by the platform.”
A train went past the platform at high speed.

Don't confuse with

speed byspeed up

Speed by means move past very quickly. Speed up means make something go faster.

Test yourself

“A motorcycle sped by us.” What does it mean?

Nearby in the meaning map

Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.

speed up

A contrast learners often mix up

Make something go faster

drive by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past a place in a vehicle

fly by

Same by pattern: passing

Travel past quickly through the air; Of time, pass extremely quickly

pass by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past a point without stopping; Of an opportunity or time, go past without being used

run by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past on foot at speed

rush by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past at speed in a hurry

sail by

Same by pattern: passing

Move past gracefully or apparently without effort

slip by

Same by pattern: passing

Pass quietly without being noticed; Of time, pass quietly without being noticed

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