How to Use shift gears in a Sentence

shift gears

phrase
  • In any case, there doesn’t seem much danger of Thatcher suddenly shifting gears and signing on for a Marvel movie.
    Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Your vehicle hesitates when shifting gears A short pause or delay between pressing the gas and your car responding is an early sign of transmission trouble.
    Michael Kurko, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Caltrans and food After working in catering during the height of the pandemic, Schmidt shifted gears to be a highway maintenance worker for Caltrans.
    Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • These improved results, attributed to shifting gears through the period, led the Danish jewelry giant to raise its 2026 revenue guidance.
    Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019
  • Having already proven its process at a one-ton-per-day demonstration scale, Hertha is shifting gears toward commercial production at its upcoming facility, Chalyx.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shift gears.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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