high gear

noun

1
2
: a state of intense or maximum activity
usually used with into or in
a project in high gear

Examples of high gear in a Sentence

She shifted the car into high gear.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The Angels have also already added right-hander Kyle Hendricks via a one-year, $2.5 million deal, but the hot-stove season won’t really kick into high gear until players — 13 in total — make decisions on qualifying offers extended by teams to start the offseason. Jeff Sanders, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 The fall sports postseason is getting into high gear. Rich Barak, The Courier-Journal, 25 Oct. 2024 Austin welcomed quite a few famous faces over the weekend as the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix kicked into high gear at the Circuit of the Americas. Annasofia Scheve, San Antonio Express-News, 21 Oct. 2024 All that buying last week almost landed the market back in overbought territory as of Friday’s close, according to the S & P Short Range Oscillator , just as earnings season gets ready to kick into high gear. Zev Fima, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for high gear 

Word History

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of high gear was in 1889

Dictionary Entries Near high gear

Cite this Entry

“High gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high%20gear. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on high gear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!