free·wheel
ˈfrē-ˈ(h)wēl 
: a clutch fitted in the rear hub of a bicycle that permits the rear wheel to run on free from the rear sprocket when the pedals are stopped
freewheeled; freewheeling; freewheels
1
: to roll along freely independent of a gear
2
: to move, live, or play freely or irresponsibly
freewheeler
noun
Examples of freewheel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
John Timmer, Ars Technica, 10 Nov. 2018
Nico Grant, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
That law has already transformed Hong Kong with authorities jailing dozens of political opponents, forcing civil society groups and outspoken media outlets to disband and transforming the once freewheeling city into one that prioritizes patriotism.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024
Gaetz, then a three-term congressman with a reputation for a freewheeling private life, appeared to have the impulse control of a teen-age boy.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
And Pitaro addressed the controversy surrounding Pat McAfee, the ESPN host who has occasionally found himself at the center of his own news cycle over comments made on his freewheeling daily show.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024
Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Eliza Scanlen are charming as the March sisters, freewheeling teenagers who put on plays, form a secret society, and develop a keen understanding of the relationship between art and commerce.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024
Sendak’s minutely crosshatched, freewheeling pictures are as familiar and mysterious as the contours of your childhood bedroom in the dark.
—Elisabeth Egan, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2024
Auto manufacturers are also being squeezed by softening demand and an abrupt industry pullback after years of freewheeling spending on EVs.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 19 Jan. 2024
Each brings the precision, finesse and freewheeling spirit that underpins Oh’s alternately spacious and knotty compositions.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2024
Noun
On the other side, the spokes meet the axle slightly off-center, while the gears (and the freewheel that allows them to rotate freely in only one direction) take up the space between there and the frame.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 10 Nov. 2018
Verb
Google’s message board debate reflects long-simmering tension between Google’s opinionated employees and executives trying to tame the company’s sometimes freewheeling culture.
—Nico Grant, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
That law has already transformed Hong Kong with authorities jailing dozens of political opponents, forcing civil society groups and outspoken media outlets to disband and transforming the once freewheeling city into one that prioritizes patriotism.
—Chris Lau, CNN, 19 Mar. 2024
Gaetz, then a three-term congressman with a reputation for a freewheeling private life, appeared to have the impulse control of a teen-age boy.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
And Pitaro addressed the controversy surrounding Pat McAfee, the ESPN host who has occasionally found himself at the center of his own news cycle over comments made on his freewheeling daily show.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024
Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, and Eliza Scanlen are charming as the March sisters, freewheeling teenagers who put on plays, form a secret society, and develop a keen understanding of the relationship between art and commerce.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024
Sendak’s minutely crosshatched, freewheeling pictures are as familiar and mysterious as the contours of your childhood bedroom in the dark.
—Elisabeth Egan, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2024
Auto manufacturers are also being squeezed by softening demand and an abrupt industry pullback after years of freewheeling spending on EVs.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 19 Jan. 2024
Each brings the precision, finesse and freewheeling spirit that underpins Oh’s alternately spacious and knotty compositions.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'freewheel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Freewheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freewheel. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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