Illustration of gear
- G gear 6a(2)
2
: equipment, paraphernalia
fishing gear
3
a
: the rigging of a ship or boat
b
: the harness especially of horses
4
dialectal, chiefly British
: absurd talk : nonsense
5
dialectal, chiefly British
: doings
6
a(1)
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a complete machine
steering gear
(2)
: a toothed wheel
(3)
: working relation, position, order, or adjustment
got her career in gear
(4)
: a level or pace of functioning
kicked their performance into high gear
b
: one of two or more adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine mechanical advantage, relative speed, and direction of travel
geared; gearing; gears
1
a
: to provide (machinery) with gearing (see gearing sense 2)
b
: to connect by gearing (see gearing sense 1)
2
a
: to make ready for effective operation
b
: to adjust so as to match, blend with, or satisfy something
gearing wages to productivity
1
a
British, of machinery
: to be in gear : mesh
b
: shift sense 1c
gear down
2
: to become adjusted so as to match, blend, or harmonize
The industry is geared to meet growing consumer demand.
Synonyms
Examples of gear in a Sentence
Noun
I somehow managed to pack all my gear into one suitcase.
soldiers in full combat gear
a complicated arrangement of gears and shafts
a car with four forward gears
Halfway up the hill, my bike slipped out of gear.
Recent Examples on the Web
Hanna Park, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
Approximately 36 hours after Pollard was initially reported missing, officials switched gears in the search and rescue efforts due to safety concerns — and on Wednesday, Dec. 4, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Limani said that their work had turned into a recovery effort.
—David Chiu, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
Mark Littler, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Youth, velocity, charisma, and undeniable star power—the film itself became a rallying cry for a new crowd of Shakespeare movies, often cast with Hollywood’s young royalty and geared toward mainstream audiences.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gear 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Greene shared a video showing an officer in protective gear outside her home during the investigation.
—Hanna Park, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
Approximately 36 hours after Pollard was initially reported missing, officials switched gears in the search and rescue efforts due to safety concerns — and on Wednesday, Dec. 4, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Limani said that their work had turned into a recovery effort.
—David Chiu, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
To be clear, Martell’s cask programme is fully geared to offer a luxurious experience and the corresponding price tag.
—Mark Littler, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Youth, velocity, charisma, and undeniable star power—the film itself became a rallying cry for a new crowd of Shakespeare movies, often cast with Hollywood’s young royalty and geared toward mainstream audiences.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gear
Dictionary Entries Near gear
Cite this Entry
“Gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gear
1 of 2 noun1
: equipment sense 2
camping gear
electronic gear
2
a
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a machine
steering gear
b
: a toothed wheel : cogwheel
3
a
: working order, relation, or adjustment
got her career in gear
b
: one of the adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine the direction of travel and the relative speed of the engine and the vehicle
gear
2 of 2 verb1
: to provide or connect with gearing
2
: to prepare for operation
gear up for production
3
: to make suitable
a book geared for children
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share