wingman

noun

wing·​man ˈwiŋ-mən How to pronounce wingman (audio)
-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
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The Fairy Godmother is replaced by Dandini (baritone Efraín Solís), who is the tutor and wingman to Prince Ramiro (Grammy Award nominee and tenor Victor Ryan Robertson). James Russell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2025 His wingman will be U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, an up and coming 28-year-old Democrat who represents the 10th Congressional District of Central Florida. Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2025 In the 1986 hit that made Kilmer a star, Tubb played Wolfman, the wingman to Kilmer’s Iceman, and Tubb spoke to BBC News following Kilmer’s death this week aged 65. Caroline Frost, Deadline, 5 Apr. 2025 The group is run by Obama’s longtime wingman Eric Holder, the former attorney general. W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wingman

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wingman was in 1942

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Cite this Entry

“Wingman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wingman. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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