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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Odd bro-couple Orlando Bloom and Tom Brady, both batching it to the nuptials, both tossed together in the Gritti Palace — and whether either of them is truly single being wholly beside the point — enjoyed a bit of boulevardier-ing about as each other’s wingman. Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025 Coalitions forming Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund manager, acted as a wingman for Cuomo throughout the debate. Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025 Another of those picks turned out to be Jalen Williams, who averaged 21.6 points during this past regular season and turned out to be a pretty good wingman. Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 5 June 2025 Stephen Curry and new wingman Jimmy Butler have revitalized the Golden State Warriors. Jack Magruder, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 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 5 Jul. 2025.

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