wingman

wing·man | \ ˈwiŋ-mən

How to pronounce wingman (audio)

, -ˌman \

Definition of wingman

1a : 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

Examples of wingman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Pitch a Friend night was just one more example of how eager friends are to play the role of wingman for the Tinder era. — Terry Nguyen, Washington Post, "When your friends are so desperate to get you a date that they resort to PowerPoint," 27 June 2019 Mykel Bingham is a skilled wingman who also can be a solid rebounder. — Mick Mccabe, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan's Top 20 high school boys basketball teams for 2019-20," 13 Dec. 2019 Bitters are the stomach’s wingman — its appetizer before a big meal, its comfort and helpmeet in the aftermath. — Washington Post, "Overeating on Thanksgiving? Bitters can make it better.," 19 Nov. 2019 One will be plucked for the Rose Garden ceremony sometime next week, while the other will serve as its wingman. — Jay Croft, CNN, "Post-presidential pardon, these turkeys will find a permanent place to nest," 23 Nov. 2019 In effect, Armstrong has written a highly rational tribute to the murky wingman of our lives that exists beyond what is material and rational. — Nicholas Kristof, New York Times, "What Is the Meaning of Sacred Texts?," 11 Nov. 2019 Armored wingmen will operate alongside U.S. Army tanks and armored vehicles, doing dangerous jobs to keep humans out of harm’s way. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Ripsaw M5 Could Become the Army’s First Robo-Tank," 16 Oct. 2019 And Chalamet and Edgerton are both impressively convincing as the reluctant monarch and his boisterous wingman, the latter of whom is given not just physical ballast but real gravitas in this telling. — Ann Hornaday, Houston Chronicle, "Splendid visuals can't save dull Netflix drama 'The King'," 30 Oct. 2019 Two of his best teachers in the scoring art, noted Oates, were ex-teammates Steve Yzerman in Detroit and Brett Hull, his former wingman in St. Louis. — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, "Former Bruin Adam Oates adds points — and value — to players’ careers," 10 Aug. 2019

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

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Last Updated

7 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Wingman.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wingman. Accessed 19 January 2020.

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