top gear

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English

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Noun

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top gear

  1. The highest gear that is available in a motor vehicle or car.
    Antonyms: granny gear; low gear, first gear
    Coordinate terms: second gear, third gear, fourth gear; angel gear, overdrive; neutral
    Near-synonyms: (often synonymous) fifth gear, overdrive
    His Packard rarely saw top gear, because in the 1930s this county barely had any roads smooth and straight enough to use it on.
    • 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:
      The Second World War was reaching fever pitch, with the entire Allied effort in top gear for the imminent invasion of Europe, while later that month buzz bombs would start falling on London.
  2. (figurative) The highest level of performance or activity.
    Synonyms: overdrive, full throttle
    Antonym: low gear
    Things really shifted into top gear once they found a new angel investor.

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