change gear
idiom
British
: to move from one level or area of activity to another
He once again changed gear in his career.
Examples of change gear in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The main gear selector always defaults to a central position and requires double inputs to change gear.
—
Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 7 Aug. 2023
The performance is similar and although there’s no need to change gear, the car still feels like an analog classic with the edges rounded off, rather than a totally smooth and silent modern EV.
—Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 4 May 2023
But stock-exchange operators still had to change gear for the day of the listing.
—Nina Trentmann, WSJ, 2 July 2020
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Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 7 Aug. 2023
The performance is similar and although there’s no need to change gear, the car still feels like an analog classic with the edges rounded off, rather than a totally smooth and silent modern EV.
—Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 4 May 2023
But stock-exchange operators still had to change gear for the day of the listing.
—Nina Trentmann, WSJ, 2 July 2020
Cite this Entry
“Change gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/change%20gear. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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