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 wheel …

—Karina Zapata

Examples of behind the wheel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That works out to 76 minutes behind the wheel each workday, or 19,700 minutes per year — just under two full weeks spent navigating some of the most congested roadways in North America. —Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2026

At one point, an agent puts his entire upper body through the open driver’s-seat window, with Rahman still behind the wheel. —Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2026

David Reich with the National Road Safety Foundation said that passengers should call out drivers who are being dangerous behind the wheel. —James Taylor, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

As of now, Tesla operates about 40 cars in Austin and has launched a fleet in San Francisco that essentially operates as a ride-hailing service with drivers behind the wheel. —Andrea Guzmán, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for behind the wheel

• automobile
• periosteal
• peritoneal
• abele
• alkyl
• anneal
• appeal
• cartwheel
• conceal
• congeal
• coquille
• corneal