gearshift

noun

gear·shift | \ˈgir-ˌshift

variants: or gear shift

plural gearshifts or gear shifts

Definition of gearshift

1 : a mechanism by which the transmission gears in a power-transmission system are engaged and disengaged also : a lever for controlling such a mechanism

2 : the functioning of a gearshift mechanism : the act or an instance of shifting gears A new, eight-speed automatic transmission makes gear shifts based in part on g-forces that the car encounters during spirited driving.— Ann M. Job

Examples of gearshift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Cole pointed to the tractor's other components, including its cultivator handles, clutch, gearshift and hydraulics. — Mitchell Kirk, Post-Tribune, "Cass County man collects tractors from around the world," 6 July 2018 On the interior, the RS 5 Sportback has Audi’s typical wraparound dashboard and S sport seats, but with RS embossing and a flat-bottomed steering wheel, sport gearshift, and steel pedals. — Hannah Elliott, Bloomberg.com, "Audi Adds to ‘Coupe’ Confusion With 2019 RS 5 Sportback," 27 Mar. 2018 Having a conventional transmission gives the Ioniq a more-conventional and sportier driving experience, particularly when the gearshift lever is pushed to the left to engage the Sport mode. — G. Chambers Williams Iii, Houston Chronicle, "Hyundai’s 2018 Ioniq Hybrid has starting price of $22,200," 1 July 2018 Without the need for a gearshift lever or a clutch, the Kalk has hand controls only, with the rear brake on the left and the twist throttle and front brake on the right. — Ty Brookhart, Outside Online, "You're Going to Want the Cake Kalk E-Dirt Bike," 25 June 2018 At the center of business is the padded aircraft-style gearshift lever, flanked by two smaller levers. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "2019 Lamborghini Urus: An SUV for the One Percent," 15 June 2018 Having a conventional transmission gives the Ioniq a more-conventional and sportier driving experience than the Prius, particularly when the gearshift lever is pushed to the left to engage the Sport mode. — G. Chambers Williams Iii, star-telegram, "Hyundai’s 2018 Ioniq Hybrid gives consumers a sporty Prius alternative | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 26 May 2018 Not long after Jan drove away from her family, her car’s gearshift cracked off. — Gina Barton, jsonline.com, "CHAPTER 4: MISSING MOM," 20 Sep. 2017 The gearshift itself is a large knob for big Jeep-owner man-paws to handle. — Scott Sturgis, Philly.com, "Jeep Cherokee offers rugged, old style in a small SUV," 15 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gearshift.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.