top gear
noun
British
1
: a vehicle's highest gear
She got to the highway and shifted into top gear.
2
: a state of great or intense activity
The project is now in top gear.
The party hit top gear when the guest of honour arrived.
Examples of top gear in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The two-gear setup means low speeds and hills are handled by the lower gear and the top gear opens it up for higher speeds.
—
Trinity Francis, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Bruno said that Stephen was running on top gear and was both fast and smooth.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Its ambitious project still feels bumpy, with some transmission slips and delayed acceleration as Hilma searches for its top gear, but there’s also a formal riskiness to the show, along with a sincere and infectious sense of wonder.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 June 2024
With Arsenal still looking for top gear and Manchester City counting the cost of Rodri’s season-ending injury, Chelsea might be looking to the top of the table.
—Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
And the bolts that attached the footrest to the chain side extended very close to the path of the chain when the bike was in its top gear.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 6 Sep. 2024
Prior to 2020, when Mecum’s prices kicked the CBX market into top gear, the CBX was a bargain for motorcycle connoisseurs, and could be easily procured for under $10,000.
—Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2024
During the stretch, the Dodgers’ top half slipped out of top gear.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024
Many countries in Europe are already suffering from the inflationary surge that jumped into top gear when Russia invaded Ukraine sending the costs of natural gas and oil higher, especially for those people operating in Europe.
—Simon Constable, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
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.
Trinity Francis, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Bruno said that Stephen was running on top gear and was both fast and smooth.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Its ambitious project still feels bumpy, with some transmission slips and delayed acceleration as Hilma searches for its top gear, but there’s also a formal riskiness to the show, along with a sincere and infectious sense of wonder.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 12 June 2024
With Arsenal still looking for top gear and Manchester City counting the cost of Rodri’s season-ending injury, Chelsea might be looking to the top of the table.
—Graham Ruthven, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024
And the bolts that attached the footrest to the chain side extended very close to the path of the chain when the bike was in its top gear.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 6 Sep. 2024
Prior to 2020, when Mecum’s prices kicked the CBX market into top gear, the CBX was a bargain for motorcycle connoisseurs, and could be easily procured for under $10,000.
—Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2024
During the stretch, the Dodgers’ top half slipped out of top gear.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2024
Many countries in Europe are already suffering from the inflationary surge that jumped into top gear when Russia invaded Ukraine sending the costs of natural gas and oil higher, especially for those people operating in Europe.
—Simon Constable, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near top gear
Cite this Entry
“Top gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top%20gear. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share