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.
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
Makena Gera, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025
At high speed, the act of steering, braking and shifting gears is overwhelming.
—John Cairney, Sportico.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Omer Awan, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
The White House agency of cutting taxes and regulation is geared toward bringing manufacturing and jobs back to the U.S., but the ultimate outcome of Mr. Trump's policies is far from clear.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gear
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
After leaving professional boxing, George III realized his passion was for training and coaching, per his Crisp speaker bio, and switched gears to entrepreneurship — founding his own gym, EverybodyFights with a friend in Boston in 2013.
—Makena Gera, People.com, 22 Mar. 2025
At high speed, the act of steering, braking and shifting gears is overwhelming.
—John Cairney, Sportico.com, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
Some of the fellowship programs at the CDC such as the Epidemic Intelligence Service and public health associate program are geared toward providing the expertise necessary to become a leader in disease detection and prevention.
—Omer Awan, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
The White House agency of cutting taxes and regulation is geared toward bringing manufacturing and jobs back to the U.S., but the ultimate outcome of Mr. Trump's policies is far from clear.
—Kate Gibson, CBS News, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gear
Cite this Entry
“Gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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
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