overdrive
noun
over·drive
ˈō-vər-ˌdrīv 
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
Then, Donald Trump won the presidency, sending crypto hype into overdrive.
—
Andrew R. Chow, Time, 20 May 2025
The anti-vaccine community, including the group formerly led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has spent years promoting the idea that mRNA vaccines for COVID regularly push tumors into overdrive.
—Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025
The airport slipped down a place from the year before as Hong Kong International returned to the Top 10 (at #9) after a very delayed revival due to post-Covid caution, but finally went into overdrive last year (up 34%).
—Kevin Rozario, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
The collapse of coal sent Virginia leaders into overdrive, courting new employers with subsidies and phone calls from the governor.
—Ben Paviour, New York Times, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for overdrive
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Andrew R. Chow, Time, 20 May 2025
The anti-vaccine community, including the group formerly led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has spent years promoting the idea that mRNA vaccines for COVID regularly push tumors into overdrive.
—Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025
The airport slipped down a place from the year before as Hong Kong International returned to the Top 10 (at #9) after a very delayed revival due to post-Covid caution, but finally went into overdrive last year (up 34%).
—Kevin Rozario, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
The collapse of coal sent Virginia leaders into overdrive, courting new employers with subsidies and phone calls from the governor.
—Ben Paviour, New York Times, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for overdrive
Cite this Entry
“Overdrive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overdrive. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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overdrive
noun
over·drive
ˈō-vər-ˌdrīv
: 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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