freewheel

noun free·wheel \ ˈfrē-ˈ(h)wēl \

|Updated on: 12 Jul 2018

Definition of freewheel

: 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

First Known Use of freewheel

1899

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

freewheel

verb

Definition of freewheel

freewheeled; freewheeling; freewheels

intransitive verb

1 : to roll along freely independent of a gear

2 : to move, live, or play freely or irresponsibly

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freewheeler

noun

Recent Examples of freewheel from the Web

Trump digs at Pelosi, Waters, hints at Supreme Court thinking during freewheeling rally Who is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?

— Fox News, "FOX NEWS FIRST: The battle over the Supreme Court begins; Trump-Putin summit details to be revealed," 28 June 2018
But the truth is, summer is meant for freewheeling, ditching obligations (ideally!) and kicking back.

— New York Times, "Here’s Your Summer Hair Guide," 12 June 2018
Despite the kingdom’s wealth, businessmen would rather work in freewheeling Dubai than Riyadh.

— The Economist, "How to ensure Muhammad bin Salman’s reforms succeed," 23 June 2018
But what’s even more astonishing than the freewheeling setlists and the freewheeling attitude toward wading into the crowd, in this business, at this level, these days, is an 85-year-old performer who can still bring it.

— théoden janes, charlotteobserver, "Review: Willie Nelson got his much-anticipated do-over in Charlotte. So, how’d it go?," 21 June 2018
So Postecoglou was replaced by Bert van Marwijk, a man whose claim to fame is turning the freewheeling Dutch into a pragmatic, defense-first team.

— andrew beaton, WSJ, "World Cup 2018: A Guide to Every Team," 12 June 2018
Rather than freewheeling with such a volatile asset, young fruits usually stockpile starch: millions of sugars threaded together into stable coils, like a botanical trust fund.

— ali bouzari, San Francisco Chronicle, "Housemade: The science behind the skillets at Miss Ollie’s in Oakland," 16 May 2018
His English was remarkably elastic, freewheeling between rote grammar and limbered-up slang.

— daniel riley, GQ, "The Great High School Impostor," 1 May 2018
These days a common motive for writing a will is to preserve such patriarchal values in the face of what some people see as an assault by freewheeling lifestyles and soaring divorce rates which have made family relationships more fluid and complex.

— The Economist, "Will-writing is becoming more popular in China," 7 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'freewheel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.