Out of Gear Meaning, Usage With Examples

The ‘out of gear’ idiom refers to a situation in which things are not functioning or working smoothly as they should. This phrase originated from the industrial field or manufacturing sector, where gears were used for transmitting power and motion between different parts of a machine.

When someone is out-of-gear. It means that the machinery is not functioning properly, or connected as it should be, resulting in a lack of coordination and efficiency. In a broader sense, the term can be used metaphorically to describe a situation in which things are not working smoothly or are not synchronized.

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Usage With Examples

The phrase ‘out-of-gear’ can be used in numerous ways and aspects of life. Consider this example, ‘I had a bad day, and my mood was completely out of gear when I got home.’ In this sentence, the person was already having a bad day and when he/ she got home, things turned even worse. 

Here are some more examples of this idiom which will allow you to use this term effectively and appropriately.

• ‘My study schedule has been completely out of gear ever since I started playing online games during night time.’
• ‘With long hours at his workplace, his work-life balance has been out of gear, affecting his personal life.’
• ‘The timeline of the weekly project went out of gear due to the unexpected delays in the editing process.’
• ‘After the reorganization in the company, the communication between departments has been out of gear, leading to a lack of communication and coordination.

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Out of Gear Idiom Synonyms And Similar Words

The out of gear idiom has a lot of similar words and synonyms that can be used in its place. Here are some of the common synonyms for this phrase.

• Lack of equilibrium
• Out of sync
• Dysfunctional 
• Gone awry

Out of Gear Idiom Quiz

The performance of the team seemed to be out of gear after the

1. Striker got injured
2. Half time passed
3. Rain interrupted the game

Ans. Striker got injured.

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This was all about out-of-gear idiom with examples. Hope you understood the concept where it’s used. For more such blogs, follow Leverage Edu.