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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The video showed Brown at an unspecified location behind the wheel of a black Lamborghini. Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 6 Nov. 2025 Paul, who was behind the wheel at the time of the crash, lost control of the vehicle around a tight turn. Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025 The cars will have live humans behind the wheel, but the vehicles will be in autonomous mode. Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025 After spending the summer and fall of 1917 behind the wheel, Cowley failed the physical to become a fighter pilot. Michael Gorra, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for behind the wheel

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“Behind the wheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behind%20the%20wheel. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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