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
Yaron Steinbuch… will start enforcing a requirement for commercial truck drivers travelling between provinces to track their hours behind the wheel …—Karina Zapata
Karina ZapataExamples of behind the wheel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Many road safety advocates suggest commercial drivers undergo more extensive education about the dangers of excessive speed and distractions behind the wheel.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
The dirt bike then collided with a white van that had entered the intersection, injuring a 52-year-old man behind the wheel.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
California Highway Patrol said 67-year-old Eileen Crawford was behind the wheel of a Honda Civic when the vehicle entered the southbound lanes of I-5 near the San Ysidro Port of Entry around 3 a.m. local time, according to NBC affiliate KNSD.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Police said Knox was driving a Corvette and Rice was behind the wheel of a Lamborghini, racing down North Central Expressway near University Drive in Dallas on March 30.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 2024
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
Many road safety advocates suggest commercial drivers undergo more extensive education about the dangers of excessive speed and distractions behind the wheel.
—William Mullane, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
The dirt bike then collided with a white van that had entered the intersection, injuring a 52-year-old man behind the wheel.
—Jason Green, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
California Highway Patrol said 67-year-old Eileen Crawford was behind the wheel of a Honda Civic when the vehicle entered the southbound lanes of I-5 near the San Ysidro Port of Entry around 3 a.m. local time, according to NBC affiliate KNSD.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Police said Knox was driving a Corvette and Rice was behind the wheel of a Lamborghini, racing down North Central Expressway near University Drive in Dallas on March 30.
—Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Apr. 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.
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 29 Apr. 2024.
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