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.
On a whim, the 30-year-old applied for several school positions — from cafeteria worker to custodian — including one for a substitute bus driver, despite having zero experience behind the wheel of a bus. Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 6 Sep. 2025 But Baoshu was asleep in the backseat and Meiyun was behind the wheel. Adam Solomons, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025 Initially, though, all rides will have a human driver behind the wheel. PC Magazine, 3 Sep. 2025 Elsewhere in the carousel, Romeo posed for a picture from what appeared to be a surfboard and smiled at the camera while behind the wheel of a boat. Kayla Grant, People.com, 2 Sep. 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 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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