wingman

noun

wing·man | \ ˈwiŋ-mən

, -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

2 : winger

Examples of wingman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Times unearthed evidence that Trump enlisted his father as his greenmailing wingman. — Susanne Craig, The Seattle Times, "Trump engaged in suspect tax schemes as he reaped riches from father," 2 Oct. 2018 Alternately, as Flight International points out, the loyal wingman technology could be ported back to older Air Force aircraft, creating unmanned airplanes. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The Air Force Valkyrie Drone, a Sidekick for Human-Piloted Planes, Will Fly This Year," 12 July 2018 While two of the Hornets stood off, Navy Lieutenant Commander Mark I. Fox and his wingman, Lieutenant Nick Mongilio, turned into the enemy. — Eric Tegler, Popular Mechanics, "Why the F/A-18 Is Such a Badass Plane," 29 Dec. 2016 The two wingmen circled, looking for a parachute, a column of smoke, or burning wreckage. — The Washington Post, AL.com, "Tuskegee airman's remains possibly found in Austria after 73 years," 9 Apr. 2018 The two wingmen circled, looking for a parachute, a column of smoke, or burning wreckage. — The Washington Post, AL.com, "Tuskegee airman's remains possibly found in Austria after 73 years," 9 Apr. 2018 The two wingmen circled, looking for a parachute, a column of smoke, or burning wreckage. — The Washington Post, AL.com, "Tuskegee airman's remains possibly found in Austria after 73 years," 9 Apr. 2018 Until then, Fazekas only knew the wingman’s account. — Washington Post, "74 years later, a pilot who crashed in France returns home," 26 Mar. 2018 One 2009 study, for example, found that friends consistently promoted the romantic endeavors of their pals by being an active wingman and shutting out undesirable pursuers. — Allie Volpe, The Cut, "The Dating App That Put My Friends in Charge of My Love Life," 7 June 2018

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.