wingman

noun

wing·​man ˈwiŋ-mən 

-ˌman

1

a

: a pilot who flies behind and outside the leader of a flying formation

b

informal : a male friend or partner who accompanies and supports a man in some activity

While guys find large groups of women intimidating, they think just a few together is the most inviting. If you hang out with a couple of friends, a guy would be able to approach you with a couple of his friends (i.e., wingmen), which would take the pressure off.

—Cosmopolitan

2

: winger

Examples of wingman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Marine pilot Lyle Bradley and a wingman were tasked with supporting the 15,000 men of the First Marine Division, who were surrounded by several Chinese divisions. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

Air Force wants hundreds of robotic wingmen The new target represents a significant increase from the Air Force’s previous plans. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Sep. 2026

Billie is a pro at this by now, which extends to wingman-ing, but Issa totally lost her skills after being out of the game so long. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

For a fighter pilot, survival depends on trusting the wingman flying beside you. — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for wingman

• dingman