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
The encounter was written up by a tabloid newspaper — Bass says the man who chatted him up was in fact a journalist — and the Mississippi native says speculation about his sexuality went into overdrive.
—
Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
But once the former reality show host won the presidency, fact-check outfits went into overdrive.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Israel’s killing of seven aid workers has put that global condemnation into overdrive, with prominent voices in Europe and the U.S. now calling for the suspension of arms sales.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Social media went into overdrive after the controversial incident with NBA great James leading the criticism and much of the furore stemming from the call being made so late in the game.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
But Gutierrez still hadn’t spoken publicly, and Howard went into overdrive trying to buy her side of the story.
—Lachlan Cartwright, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
These hard-hitting oils pack a punch that’ll put your whole wellness routine into overdrive.
—Isla G. Roy, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The land grab has gone into overdrive since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants invaded southern Israel and — according to the Israeli government — killed more than 1,160 people and kidnapped some 240.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The saga kicks online conspiracy theories, which had already been bubbling for weeks, into overdrive.
—Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
But once the former reality show host won the presidency, fact-check outfits went into overdrive.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Israel’s killing of seven aid workers has put that global condemnation into overdrive, with prominent voices in Europe and the U.S. now calling for the suspension of arms sales.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Social media went into overdrive after the controversial incident with NBA great James leading the criticism and much of the furore stemming from the call being made so late in the game.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
But Gutierrez still hadn’t spoken publicly, and Howard went into overdrive trying to buy her side of the story.
—Lachlan Cartwright, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
These hard-hitting oils pack a punch that’ll put your whole wellness routine into overdrive.
—Isla G. Roy, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
The land grab has gone into overdrive since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants invaded southern Israel and — according to the Israeli government — killed more than 1,160 people and kidnapped some 240.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The saga kicks online conspiracy theories, which had already been bubbling for weeks, into overdrive.
—Frances Vinall, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overdrive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overdrive
Cite this Entry
“Overdrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overdrive. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share