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
Timothée Chalamet is in awards season overdrive for A24's Marty Supreme, which earned him Oscar nods for Best Actor and, as a producer, Best Picture.
—
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
The hype machine around Philip Mayaka went into overdrive before the 2021 MLS Draft.
—Idaho Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026
In the final sprint to the polls ahead of the March 17 primary elections in Illinois, political campaigns have shifted their outreach into overdrive.
—Megan De Mar, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Don’t Multitask Multitasking puts your brain into overdrive (and is bad for cognitive health), so making a conscious effort to do one task at a time can prevent the stress response from taking over.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overdrive
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Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
The hype machine around Philip Mayaka went into overdrive before the 2021 MLS Draft.
—Idaho Statesman, 4 Mar. 2026
In the final sprint to the polls ahead of the March 17 primary elections in Illinois, political campaigns have shifted their outreach into overdrive.
—Megan De Mar, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026
Don’t Multitask Multitasking puts your brain into overdrive (and is bad for cognitive health), so making a conscious effort to do one task at a time can prevent the stress response from taking over.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overdrive
Cite this Entry
“Overdrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overdrive. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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
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