overdrive
noun
over·drive
ˈō-vər-ˌdrīv 
1
: an automotive transmission gear that transmits to the drive shaft a speed greater than engine speed
2
: a state of heightened activity
going into rhetorical overdrive
Examples of overdrive in a Sentence
He put the car into overdrive.
His acting career is in overdrive.
The reporters went into overdrive to finish their stories on time.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sending the chatter into overdrive one month later, the two walked the red carpet together at the hot-ticket Met Gala in May 2018.
—
Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Evacuations were stepped up in areas prone to flooding and sandbagging was in overdrive.
—NBC News, 27 Sep. 2024
The tour was taking place as the Watergate scandal was hitting overdrive and calls for then-President Nixon’s resignation were growing louder by the day.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2024
Even as party insiders told Deadline that there was no way Queen Bey would show up in Chicago and risk overshadowing the Vice President’s speech, media speculation of an appearance went into overdrive — with more than a few outlets having egg on their page when Beyoncé was a no-show.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overdrive 
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.
Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Evacuations were stepped up in areas prone to flooding and sandbagging was in overdrive.
—NBC News, 27 Sep. 2024
The tour was taking place as the Watergate scandal was hitting overdrive and calls for then-President Nixon’s resignation were growing louder by the day.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2024
Even as party insiders told Deadline that there was no way Queen Bey would show up in Chicago and risk overshadowing the Vice President’s speech, media speculation of an appearance went into overdrive — with more than a few outlets having egg on their page when Beyoncé was a no-show.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for overdrive
Dictionary Entries Near overdrive
Cite this Entry
“Overdrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overdrive. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overdrive
noun
over·drive
ˈō-vər-ˌdrīv
: a transmission gear in an automobile that allows the drive shaft to operate at a speed greater than that of the engine crankshaft
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share