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

Speculation had gone into overdrive prior to the announcement, with experts wondering whether Masaryk may have conveyed a fateful warning before Europe's descent back into war. —Jay Ganglani, NBC news, 19 Sep. 2025

The film certainly steers clear of Emmerichian overdrive, but it is suffused with hopelessness — on both an intimate and an epic scale. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025

Suddenly, Mickey is offering him a chance to play the main stage, which sets Sam’s greedier instincts into overdrive. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 13 Sep. 2025

Shin splints are common among runners, especially those who just ramped up their training, since that can force the tibialis anterior into overdrive. —Jenny McCoy, SELF, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for overdrive

• alive
• archive
• arrive
• beehive
• connive
• contrive
• deprive
• derive
• revive
• survive
• dive
• drive

Kids 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