reverse gear
noun
: a part (called a gear) that makes a motor move a vehicle in a backward direction
The tractor does not have a reverse gear.
Put the car in/into reverse gear.
—sometimes used figurativelyThe economy seems to be stuck in reverse gear.
Examples of reverse gear in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In one recall notice, Ford said the rearview cameras in certain Bronco and Edge vehicles may not display while in reverse gear.
—
Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 Mar. 2026
With that reverse gear caused by Baker Mayfield’s struggles and bad red-zone defense, TB now finds itself in an NFC South mutt-fight with Carolina in a winner-take-all division that likely won’t see the runner-up with a wild-card spot.
—Greg Cote
december 10, Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025
But the larger lesson of the recent purges is quite different: Putin lacks a reverse gear.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2025
Interestingly, there's also a reverse gear to facilitate maneuvering the electric scooter and regenerative braking technology that transforms braking effort into electrical energy to help extend battery charge.
—New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2025
The battery’s state of charge is always sufficient to start the engine and to operate the electric reverse gear.
—Jason Barlow, WIRED, 6 Oct. 2024
Activated when reverse gear is engaged, rear cross-traffic alert and autobraking systems typically use radar or ultrasonic sensors mounted on the rear bumper to keep an electric eye on the areas to the rear right and left of the vehicle.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
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Melina Khan, USA Today, 6 Mar. 2026
With that reverse gear caused by Baker Mayfield’s struggles and bad red-zone defense, TB now finds itself in an NFC South mutt-fight with Carolina in a winner-take-all division that likely won’t see the runner-up with a wild-card spot.
—Greg Cote
december 10, Miami Herald, 10 Dec. 2025
But the larger lesson of the recent purges is quite different: Putin lacks a reverse gear.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2025
Interestingly, there's also a reverse gear to facilitate maneuvering the electric scooter and regenerative braking technology that transforms braking effort into electrical energy to help extend battery charge.
—New Atlas, 7 Feb. 2025
The battery’s state of charge is always sufficient to start the engine and to operate the electric reverse gear.
—Jason Barlow, WIRED, 6 Oct. 2024
Activated when reverse gear is engaged, rear cross-traffic alert and autobraking systems typically use radar or ultrasonic sensors mounted on the rear bumper to keep an electric eye on the areas to the rear right and left of the vehicle.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Reverse gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverse%20gear. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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