gear up

verb

geared up; gearing up; gears up
Synonyms of gear upnext

intransitive verb

: to get ready
are gearing up for the big game

Examples of gear up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The start of the 2026 season has finally arrived for the Orlando Pride, and coach Seb Hines and his squad are gearing up for another title challenge. Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026 With Paul Thomas Anderson gearing up to take a crack at adapting Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland, Leo is back in the game. Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026 No one wants to fall down a flight of stairs and face-plant right at a time of the year when the good teams are gearing up for a postseason run. Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 13 Mar. 2026 Republicans around the country have long been looking to Florida — which has been biding its time and is gearing up to act this spring — to help the party pull ahead. Kadia Goba, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gear up

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gear up was in 1943

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gear up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear%20up. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.

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