overdrive
noun
over·drive
| \ ˈō-vər-ˌdrīv
\
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Definition of overdrive
1
: an automotive transmission gear that transmits to the drive shaft a speed greater than engine speed
2
: a state of heightened activity
going into rhetorical overdrive
Examples of overdrive in a Sentence
He put the car into overdrive.
His acting career is in overdrive.
The reporters went into overdrive to finish their stories on time.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Days, months or years later, when something triggers that unprocessed memory, the amygdala goes into overdrive, resulting in hyperalertness or, at the opposite end of the scale, completely zoning out. — Janey Starling, refinery29.com, "Why We Need To Stop Using 'Triggered' In The Wrong Context," 21 Aug. 2019 Then the Industrial Revolution happened, and human population went into overdrive. — Kelsey Piper, Vox, "We’ve worried about overpopulation for centuries. And we’ve always been wrong.," 20 Aug. 2019 When a politician attacked Agnes’s client, her team went into overdrive. — Washington Post, "Why crafty Internet trolls in the Philippines may be coming to a website near you," 26 July 2019 In recent days, the British media has gone into overdrive. — Sheena Mckenzie, CNN, "Think Boris Johnson breaks the mold? Wait until you meet his girlfriend," 26 July 2019 In recent days, the British media has gone into overdrive. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Boris Johnson has a girlfriend (as well as a wife) and the tabloids are going nuts," 26 July 2019 Emily Whitehead’s complete remission made the headlines and energized the entire field, propelling CAR-T funding and development into overdrive. — Charles Graeber, WIRED, "How Scientists Built a ‘Living Drug’ to Beat Cancer," 25 July 2019 With almost every major player in town invested in online originals, all eyes are on what comes next from Netflix as the streaming entertainment market goes into overdrive. — Elaine Low, chicagotribune.com, "How ‘Orange is the New Black’ changed TV streaming," 22 July 2019 Obama never took this into overdrive the same way that the Trump Administration has. — The New Yorker, "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the 2020 Presidential Race and Trump’s Crisis at the Border," 10 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'overdrive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for overdrive
overdrive
noun
English Language Learners Definition of overdrive
: a gear in an automobile that allows it to be driven at higher speeds
: a state of great activity especially in order to achieve something
See the full definition for overdrive in the English Language Learners Dictionary