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
That’s a little less horsepower and a little more torque than the Lyriq, which should be interesting to experience when behind the wheel.
—Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 29 May 2024
It wasn’t known why the boy was behind the wheel — California motor vehicle law says a driver must be at least 15½ to have a learner’s permit.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for behind the wheel 
Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 29 May 2024
It wasn’t known why the boy was behind the wheel — California motor vehicle law says a driver must be at least 15½ to have a learner’s permit.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for behind the wheel
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 4 Jun. 2024.
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