top gear

American

[top geer] / ˈtɒp ˈgɪər /

noun

the position or arrangement of parts in an automobile’s transmission that allows for the greatest speed and efficiency; the highest available gear in an automobile.

The automatic transmission has six speeds, enough to furnish fast, serene cruising in top gear.

idioms

in / into top gear. gear.

top gear British

noun

Often shortened to: top. the highest gear in a motor vehicle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of top gear

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

On the field, he wants England playing one of the world’s slowest sports in top gear all the time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Arteta's men have still not hit top gear offensively, but it has not mattered thanks to a club record run of clean sheets.

From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025

Every time they seemed to find their top gear, they instead slipped back into reverse.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2025

City were not at their sparkling best in difficult conditions - but they did not need to be, or indeed have to be anywhere near top gear to dispose of Newcastle.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2024

But he had not yet gone into that whizzing top gear of his, when the ground became blurred by speed and the wind howled and his feet didn’t seem to be touching anything but air.

From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl

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