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.
And even a driver sitting behind the wheel of a car using FSD poses a risk. Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2025 Hall of Fame basketball player Paul Pierce was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence after being found asleep behind the wheel of an SUV on a Los Angeles highway, according to the California Highway Patrol. David Carrillo Peñaloza, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 His Ford pickup collided head-on with a Honda Civic, killing the woman behind the wheel. Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 9 Oct. 2025 At least Taylor seems to know from the jump the dangers of getting in a car with Harry behind the wheel, understanding that the long drive could potentially end in burning flames. Tom Smyth, Vulture, 6 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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