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
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
But a new report issued by the AAA determined that drivers shouldn’t rely 100% on the technology’s effectiveness, and rather maintain a high level of diligence while operating in reverse gear, especially if their cross-traffic visibility is otherwise obscured.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
The electric motor also serves as the V12’s starter, and provides the Revuelto’s reverse function, eliminating the need for a reverse gear in the transmission.
—Dan Carney, Popular Science, 3 Apr. 2023
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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
But a new report issued by the AAA determined that drivers shouldn’t rely 100% on the technology’s effectiveness, and rather maintain a high level of diligence while operating in reverse gear, especially if their cross-traffic visibility is otherwise obscured.
—Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
The electric motor also serves as the V12’s starter, and provides the Revuelto’s reverse function, eliminating the need for a reverse gear in the transmission.
—Dan Carney, Popular Science, 3 Apr. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Reverse gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reverse%20gear. Accessed 17 Dec. 2025.
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