diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration.go
index 1bc1e3c81ff..c31b2a0cb52 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/duration/duration.go
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ func ShortHumanDuration(d time.Duration) string {
 	// Allow deviation no more than 2 seconds(excluded) to tolerate machine time
 	// inconsistence, it can be considered as almost now.
 	if seconds := int(d.Seconds()); seconds < -1 {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("<invalid>")
+		return "<invalid>"
 	} else if seconds < 0 {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("0s")
+		return "0s"
 	} else if seconds < 60 {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%ds", seconds)
 	} else if minutes := int(d.Minutes()); minutes < 60 {
@@ -49,9 +49,9 @@ func HumanDuration(d time.Duration) string {
 	// Allow deviation no more than 2 seconds(excluded) to tolerate machine time
 	// inconsistence, it can be considered as almost now.
 	if seconds := int(d.Seconds()); seconds < -1 {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("<invalid>")
+		return "<invalid>"
 	} else if seconds < 0 {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("0s")
+		return "0s"
 	} else if seconds < 60*2 {
 		return fmt.Sprintf("%ds", seconds)
 	}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/httpstream/spdy/upgrade.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/httpstream/spdy/upgrade.go
index f17eb09e960..d30ae2fa3dc 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/httpstream/spdy/upgrade.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/httpstream/spdy/upgrade.go
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ func (u responseUpgrader) UpgradeResponse(w http.ResponseWriter, req *http.Reque
 
 	hijacker, ok := w.(http.Hijacker)
 	if !ok {
-		errorMsg := fmt.Sprintf("unable to upgrade: unable to hijack response")
+		errorMsg := "unable to upgrade: unable to hijack response"
 		http.Error(w, errorMsg, http.StatusInternalServerError)
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json/json_test.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json/json_test.go
index cc5e24b86dd..9464eb7f3f7 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json/json_test.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/json/json_test.go
@@ -352,8 +352,8 @@ func TestEvaluateTypes(t *testing.T) {
 
 		t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("%d_raw", i), func(t *testing.T) {
 			// decode the input as a standalone object
-			inputJSON := fmt.Sprintf(`%s`, tc.In)
-			expectedJSON := fmt.Sprintf(`%s`, tc.Out)
+			inputJSON := tc.In
+			expectedJSON := tc.Out
 			var m interface{}
 			err := Unmarshal([]byte(inputJSON), &m)
 			if tc.Err && err != nil {
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime/runtime.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime/runtime.go
index 9f834fa538d..d738725caf0 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime/runtime.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/util/runtime/runtime.go
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ func GetCaller() string {
 	runtime.Callers(3, pc[:])
 	f := runtime.FuncForPC(pc[0])
 	if f == nil {
-		return fmt.Sprintf("Unable to find caller")
+		return "Unable to find caller"
 	}
 	return f.Name()
 }