behind the wheel

idiomatic phrase

: in the act of driving
I was nervous my first time behind the wheel.
He urged drivers to stop and rest if they feel tired behind the wheel.Yaron Steinbuch
… will start enforcing a requirement for commercial truck drivers travelling between provinces to track their hours behind the wheelKarina Zapata

Examples of behind the wheel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Drew Barrymore is turning back time — from behind the wheel! Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024 Vanna White will be turning more than letters in a gorgeous creation from Christian Siriano on Monday's episode of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. The Project Runway mentor is also stepping behind the wheel to compete against Sarah Levy and Krysten Ritter on the latest episode of the TV favorite. Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 6 May 2024 If anything, it’s burnished by how exciting and involving this compact SUV is from behind the wheel. Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 3 May 2024 George Pino was behind the wheel of a 29-foot Robolo twin 300-horsepower engine center console boat on Sept. 4, 2022, returning from celebrating his daughter’s 18th birthday on Elliott Key. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024 Road rage: What makes some people more prone to anger behind the wheel Science Advances. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024 Verstappen, who races under the Dutch flag, is so confident behind the wheel that during at least one race he’s been able to keep an eye on the screens around the track in order to watch the battle going on behind him. Sean Gregory, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024 Lopez was already dead behind the wheel when police arrived. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 13 Apr. 2024 The driver, behind the wheel of a Dodge Ram truck bearing New York license plates, drove away. Dan Morse, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'behind the wheel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of behind the wheel was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near behind the wheel

Cite this Entry

“Behind the wheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behind%20the%20wheel. Accessed 10 May. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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