high gear

Idioms

A state of maximum activity, energy, or force. For example, His mind was in high gear as he studied for the medical exam, or The political campaign is finally moving into high gear. This expression alludes to the high gear of an engine transmission, used at the fastest speeds.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

high gear

As second-quarter earnings kick into high gear this week, Wall Street analysts seem to be feeling pretty good, despite ongoing concerns about the impact of the Iran war.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026

The technology was developed decades ago, but federal incentives during the Obama administration kicked U.S. adoption into high gear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

“Apple’s innovation engine was in high gear this month with a flurry of new products unveiled across the Mac, iPhone, iPad, and AirPods families,” White wrote Thursday.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

Now the two teams will be hoping to get their bats into high gear from the beginning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026

The secret was out now, and the hunt seemed to be shifting into high gear.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023