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
In November 2022, Veronica Mars star Kristen Bell revealed that her husband puts on his own neighborhood hayride — sharing a photo of him behind the wheel, towing a group of excited riders.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
Made in 1905, crammed with comedy players, and hand-tinted with blurts of rough color, the film purports to show a car being driven by King Leopold II of Belgium, who is depicted as a fool behind the wheel.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Authorities haven’t identified the firefighter who was behind the wheel, or said if anyone at the station inspected the driveway before the truck exited.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Dorelus can’t help but wonder if things would have turned out differently had her brother, who worked for Haiti’s national water company, DINEPA, had been the one behind the wheel.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
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Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
Made in 1905, crammed with comedy players, and hand-tinted with blurts of rough color, the film purports to show a car being driven by King Leopold II of Belgium, who is depicted as a fool behind the wheel.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Authorities haven’t identified the firefighter who was behind the wheel, or said if anyone at the station inspected the driveway before the truck exited.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Dorelus can’t help but wonder if things would have turned out differently had her brother, who worked for Haiti’s national water company, DINEPA, had been the one behind the wheel.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 30 Sep. 2025.
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