gear up
To prepare for an activity.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We gear up for the big game every weekend.”
“The team needs to gear up for the busy holiday season by hiring more staff.”
“As the deadline approached, the entire department began to gear up for the final phase of the project, working long hours to ensure everything was ready.”
- 01
all the gear and no idea
Having high-quality, expensive equipment for a risky or difficult activity, without any of the requisite knowledge.
- 02
click into gear
To start to perform effectively or to progress
- 03
find another gear
To suddenly achieve an extra burst of athletic performance, especially after a sustained period of competitive exertion.
- 04
fourth gear
A maximal level of effort.
- 05
get one's ass in gear
To exert effective effort; to get going; to get moving; to start producing.
- 06
go through the gears
To gain momentum; to get up to speed.
- 07
grind one's gears
To annoy or irritate one.
- 08
move through the gears
To gradually increase speed or output.
Last updated August 10, 2026