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
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Lisa also tests trail and road running shoes and other outdoor gear for Outside with a select group of diverse women runners.
—Lisa Jhung, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2026
This program is geared toward bourbon groups and accounts like liquor stores and bars, who will be able to select barrels to bottle as single barrel releases (consumers can find these at retail).
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gear
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.
Noun
The first year is particularly dangerous for whales due to a combination of factors, including boat strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, and ingesting plastic.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 26 Mar. 2026
Lisa also tests trail and road running shoes and other outdoor gear for Outside with a select group of diverse women runners.
—Lisa Jhung, Outside, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
These amenities are geared toward recovery and performance rather than pampering.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2026
This program is geared toward bourbon groups and accounts like liquor stores and bars, who will be able to select barrels to bottle as single barrel releases (consumers can find these at retail).
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gear
Cite this Entry
“Gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
