freewheel

1 of 2

noun

free·​wheel ˈfrē-ˈ(h)wēl 

: a clutch fitted in the rear hub of a bicycle that permits the rear wheel to run on free from the rear sprocket when the pedals are stopped

freewheel

2 of 2

verb

freewheeled; freewheeling; freewheels

intransitive verb

1

: to roll along freely independent of a gear

2

: to move, live, or play freely or irresponsibly

freewheeler noun

Examples of freewheel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In 1921, a small Japanese company called Shimano began making bicycle freewheels in Osaka. — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026

The only other bottleneck would seemingly be the amount of computing needed to let the AI freewheel. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 June 2026

Verb

The anti-establishment, freewheeling comedy, directed by Robert Altman, was one of the year’s most popular films and led to the long-running CBS series of the same name. — Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026

Many of the offensive and controversial remarks came in freewheeling replies to otherwise anodyne comments about current events, politics or games. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1899, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for freewheel

• abele
• alkyl
• anneal
• appeal
• cartwheel
• conceal
• congeal
• coquille
• corneal
• cornmeal
• flywheel
• genteel