Illustration of gear
- G gear 6a(2)
2
: equipment, paraphernalia
fishing gear
3
a
: the rigging of a ship or boat
b
: the harness especially of horses
4
dialectal, chiefly British
: absurd talk : nonsense
5
dialectal, chiefly British
: doings
6
a(1)
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a complete machine
steering gear
(2)
: a toothed wheel
(3)
: working relation, position, order, or adjustment
got her career in gear
(4)
: a level or pace of functioning
kicked their performance into high gear
b
: one of two or more adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine mechanical advantage, relative speed, and direction of travel
geared; gearing; gears
1
a
: to provide (machinery) with gearing (see gearing sense 2)
b
: to connect by gearing (see gearing sense 1)
2
a
: to make ready for effective operation
b
: to adjust so as to match, blend with, or satisfy something
gearing wages to productivity
1
a
British, of machinery
: to be in gear : mesh
b
: shift sense 1c
gear down
2
: to become adjusted so as to match, blend, or harmonize
The industry is geared to meet growing consumer demand.
Examples of gear in a Sentence
Noun
I somehow managed to pack all my gear into one suitcase.
soldiers in full combat gear
a complicated arrangement of gears and shafts
a car with four forward gears
Halfway up the hill, my bike slipped out of gear.
Recent Examples on the Web
Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2025
Brittany’s video shows them in workout gear, Whoop trackers strapped to their wrists, going head-to-head on a mat doing leg lifts and passing a medicine ball back and forth.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2025
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025
Trump has floated a number of tax cuts geared toward working people, and some commentators have remarked that the fact that the GOP was even considering a tax hike for the rich indicates an ongoing shift in the party’s base.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gear
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
The organization announced the collaboration on Wednesday with social media posts showing the women posing with the fashionable gear.
—Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2025
Brittany’s video shows them in workout gear, Whoop trackers strapped to their wrists, going head-to-head on a mat doing leg lifts and passing a medicine ball back and forth.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 8 May 2025
Verb
Those with climbing equipment, like ladders or steps, tend to be geared toward ages 6 and older.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 28 Apr. 2025
Trump has floated a number of tax cuts geared toward working people, and some commentators have remarked that the fact that the GOP was even considering a tax hike for the rich indicates an ongoing shift in the party’s base.
—Aris Folley, The Hill, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gear
Cite this Entry
“Gear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gear. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gear
1 of 2 noun1
: equipment sense 2
camping gear
electronic gear
2
a
: a mechanism that performs a specific function in a machine
steering gear
b
: a toothed wheel : cogwheel
3
a
: working order, relation, or adjustment
got her career in gear
b
: one of the adjustments of a transmission (as of a bicycle or motor vehicle) that determine the direction of travel and the relative speed of the engine and the vehicle
gear
2 of 2 verb1
: to provide or connect with gearing
2
: to prepare for operation
gear up for production
3
: to make suitable
a book geared for children
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