upgear

English

Alternative forms

• up-gear

Etymology

From up- +‎ gear.

Verb

upgear (third-person singular simple present upgears, present participle upgearing, simple past and past participle upgeared)

1. (transitive, intransitive, automotive) To shift to a higher gear
   • 1961, Car & Driver, volume 7, page 91:

     The air-cooled two-cylinder engine is less obtrusive than one might expect, thanks to vacuum control which automatically upgears the car and holds down the speed of the 746-cc engine.

2. (by extension) To shift to a higher level or standard; upgrade
   • 1981, Popular Science, volume 219, number 5, page 66:

     Cam will help but you'd need to upgear a tire size to capitalize on it.

3. (figurative) To move to an elevated level of activity, performance, or intensity
   • 1987, Jasawanta Siṅgha Kam̆wala, The Other Zafarnamah:

     The vicious cycle of repression was upgeared and intensified.

   • 2001, Andrew Darlington, I was Elvis Presley's Bastard Love-child:

     She says it clearly, carefully and very deliberately, recalling a time when their gigs are already upgearing to concerts and benefits organised by Bill Graham, for whom Airplane become regulars of the Fillmore […]

See also

• gear up

Anagrams

• Prague, gear up