to go into high gear
1
4.4
- phrasal verb
:
acelerar
- While engineering was busy tying the bow on a two-year development effort, Marketing went into high gear (pun intended!) to demonstrate the excitement we were feeling around this product launch.
Examples
-
The host team then went into high gear in the second half after being awarded a penalty that Aguero booted in the 52nd minute.
Blog text (5) -
After the initial delays, the construction started to go into high gear, and the building was completed ahead of schedule.
-
Unless they wanted to do it before the real fourth quarter release rush goes into high gear.
Blog text (15) -
At that point, the SADF decided to minimize its losses, and the diplomatic process went into high gear.
Academic text (1993) -
This was the period when the workshops first went into high gear; the market was flooded with low-end junk.
Academic text (2009) -
Preventive diplomacy or crisis prevention should have gone into high gear in 1991.
Academic text (1993) -
The Guam Legislature responded to the weather crises by granting the governor emergency powers, and the Guam Waterworks Authority went into high gear.
Academic text (1998) -
The project went into high gear as the deadline approached, and the team worked tirelessly to meet it.
-
When the sales numbers dropped, the marketing department went into high gear to launch a new campaign.
Synonyms
637
1.0
To move or act more quickly to avoid being late
161
2.5
To make something move or happen faster
74
3.4
Make something greater in amount, speed or strength
47
4.1
To increase something, especially its amount or speed
39
3.8
To increase the level or strength of something, for example volume, production
26
4.2
Make a situation more urgent to force someone to act
23
4.0
To move or work faster
18
6.7
To increase something slowly until it becomes hard to reduce
9
3.7
To press the pedal in a car to make it go faster or hurry to finish something
7
6.3
To drive or work as fast as possible, often to finish something
3
4.2
Start working more actively and getting more done
2
9.9
Start working quickly and with more energy
1
4.4
To try harder or work faster to reach a goal
1
4.6
To make something faster or more active
1
6.8
To work harder or faster when facing a challenge
1
3.9
Move or work faster to finish sooner
To start working well and fast after a slow time
To go through stages more easily as you gain confidence
To start working faster and try harder to reach a goal
To start working quickly and seriously
To work much harder and faster to get something done
Antonyms
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines a transparent state-change verb 'go into' (enter a state) with 'high' (greater intensity) and 'gear' (a speed/setting metaphor), so the overall meaning 'shift into a faster/more intense mode' is directly inferable from the parts. The mechanical metaphor of 'gear' and the common pattern 'go into + [state]' are cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to understand this expression without prior exposure.
Etymology
Go into high gear comes from machines and bicycles: when you shift into high gear the machine runs faster and with more power. So, it now means 'to start working faster or with more effort'.