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 figuratively

The economy seems to be stuck in reverse gear.

Examples of reverse gear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Using energy generated by the motors to reverse eliminates the need for a reverse gear, making transmissions lighter, less expensive and less complex. — Charles Singh, USA Today, 24 June 2026

Plus, there’s a handy-dandy reverse gear on board too, which is becoming more commonplace on e-motos. — New Atlas, 21 May 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

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

Rhymes for reverse gear

• charioteer
• ritonavir
• adhere
• ameer
• amir
• appear
• arrear
• astir
• austere
• career
• cashier
• cohere