gears

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.

“It will continue to be used strategically by people who don’t like a particular decision to throw sand in the gears and get leverage,” Elmendorf said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

That's the question the government-funded Smithsonian Institution posed itself as the United States gears up for the anniversary of the nation's July 4, 1776, Declaration of Independence.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

And it is proper: a leather-stitched, handball-sized shift knob, ever shivering with engine revs, the short throws between gears landing in oiled, notchy slots.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

The couple quickly shifted gears and bought shares of the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

The contraption kicked him when he cranked, spat oil in his face when he looked into its bowels, squealed when he mashed the brakes, and rumbled ominously when he shifted gears.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey