overdrive

noun

over·​drive ˈō-vər-ˌdrīv How to pronounce overdrive (audio)
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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In other words, the moment a market tightened, YieldStar kicked into overdrive. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 The pandemic intensified that appetite when fashion returned from lockdown, sending the industry into overdrive. — Alex Badia, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026 In late 2025, as Russia’s battlefield momentum started to decline and Ukraine ramped up its drone and missile attacks against Russian oil infrastructure, Putin put his hybrid war into overdrive. — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026 At high levels, too much caffeine pushes the teen heart and brain into overdrive and can cause acute illness. — Amanda Erickson, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for overdrive

Word History

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overdrive was in 1926

Rhymes for overdrive

See All Rhymes for overdrive

Browse Nearby Words

overdrink
overdrive
overdriven
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Cite this Entry

“Overdrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overdrive. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

overdrive

noun
over·​drive ˈō-vər-ˌdrīv How to pronounce overdrive (audio)
: a transmission gear in an automobile that allows the drive shaft to operate at a speed greater than that of the engine crankshaft
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