driver's seat

noun

: the position of top authority or dominance

Examples of driver's seat in a Sentence

with her boss's early retirement, she unexpectedly found herself in the driver's seat
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.
The government's role should be to create guardrails — such as infrastructure, regulation, and policy frameworks — rather than to sit in the driver's seat of competitive business. Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025 No need to leave the driver's seat. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2025 In a brief clip that opened the post, the Pirates of the Caribbean star sat in the driver's seat of a blue truck, revving the engine and posing for the camera with Biggie, who made his official debut on the Today show in early June, by his side. Michael Nied, People.com, 4 Aug. 2025 When police asked him and the driver to leave the vehicle, the driver complied, but Chipley hopped into the driver's seat and fled. David Clarey, jsonline.com, 21 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for driver's seat

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of driver's seat was in 1860

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Driver's seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/driver%27s%20seat. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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