wheelie

noun

wheel·​ie ˈ(h)wē-lē How to pronounce wheelie (audio)
: a maneuver in which a wheeled vehicle (such as a bicycle) is momentarily balanced on its rear wheel or wheels

Examples of wheelie in a Sentence

He did a wheelie on his bike.
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.
An 81-year-old was allegedly killed in Lake Forest after a 14-year-old crashed into him after he was spotted doing wheelies. Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026 Fans saw the trucks jump high into the air, drift around tight turns, smash into vehicles and perform hit backwards wheelies. Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 7 June 2026 And in Lake Forest, a 14-year-old doing wheelies on an e-motorcycle – able to reach 56 mph – struck and killed an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran walking home from his job as a substitute teacher, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said. Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 24 May 2026 In the video, the e-bike riders can be seen speeidng, popping wheelies, driving on sidewalks and evading police. Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wheelie

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wheelie was circa 1965

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wheelie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheelie. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.

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