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
Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
India buys most of its military gear from Russia and is one of Russia’s largest energy customers.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 31 July 2025
Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 1 Aug. 2025
Before Amazon entered the scene, many of the stakeholders in the supply chain world were primarily geared toward serving other businesses, not individual consumers.
—Shekar Natarajan, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gear
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Noun
The entire collection, which features a streetwear versus gear angle, was on display, along with the brand's new campaign film complete with the store's theater-style seating, at an event hosted at the retailer.
—Roxanne Robinson, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
India buys most of its military gear from Russia and is one of Russia’s largest energy customers.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 31 July 2025
Verb
The retreat was geared toward young people on the edge of depression and anxiety.
—Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 1 Aug. 2025
Before Amazon entered the scene, many of the stakeholders in the supply chain world were primarily geared toward serving other businesses, not individual consumers.
—Shekar Natarajan, Forbes.com, 29 July 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 5 Aug. 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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