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 Zapata
Examples of behind the wheel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the benefit isn’t just big numbers on the spec sheet; the vehicle’s driving dynamics impart confidence and a sense of supreme control behind the wheel.
—Sean Evans, Robb Report, 25 Nov. 2023
Cops always can tell when a billionaire is behind the wheel.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2023
Jose Luis Macias, 25, was slumped behind the wheel.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2023
Haddish fell asleep behind the wheel in the middle of Beverly Drive, TMZ reported, around 5:45 a.m.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023
The responsibility of the driver Henri Paul, 41, was the deputy head of security for the Ritz hotel in Paris and the man behind the wheel of the Mercedes S280 that crashed into the 13th pillar in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023
Jury selection for the lone remaining suspect, who prosecutors said was behind the wheel when Frickey died, got underway after the three girls' guilty pleas were entered.
—CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
The Grammy-winning rapper allegedly was behind the wheel of a Dodge Charger in June 2019 when the muscle car slammed into the rear of another man’s vehicle on a ramp of the 110 freeway in Los Angeles.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023
All those thousands of miles behind the wheel of his car in pursuit of his vision showed Strachwitz an America nobody else saw.
—Joel Selvin, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023
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Sean Evans, Robb Report, 25 Nov. 2023
Cops always can tell when a billionaire is behind the wheel.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2023
Jose Luis Macias, 25, was slumped behind the wheel.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2023
Haddish fell asleep behind the wheel in the middle of Beverly Drive, TMZ reported, around 5:45 a.m.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 24 Nov. 2023
The responsibility of the driver Henri Paul, 41, was the deputy head of security for the Ritz hotel in Paris and the man behind the wheel of the Mercedes S280 that crashed into the 13th pillar in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris.
—Karla Adam, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023
Jury selection for the lone remaining suspect, who prosecutors said was behind the wheel when Frickey died, got underway after the three girls' guilty pleas were entered.
—CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
The Grammy-winning rapper allegedly was behind the wheel of a Dodge Charger in June 2019 when the muscle car slammed into the rear of another man’s vehicle on a ramp of the 110 freeway in Los Angeles.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023
All those thousands of miles behind the wheel of his car in pursuit of his vision showed Strachwitz an America nobody else saw.
—Joel Selvin, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Nov. 2023
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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.
Word History
First Known Use
1906, in the meaning defined above
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 2 Dec. 2023.
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