as in casual
not held back by rules, duties, or worries
James Bond has long been the model of the freewheeling hero who encounters danger and excitement in every corner of the globe
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Recent Examples of freewheeling
There’s no legal argument to be made against this turn away from fact-checking and towards a more freewheeling, more disinformation-laden, more confusing, more hateful and less illuminating approach.
—
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2025
Parents who have immigrated to Norway sometimes struggle to accept the freewheeling Norwegian approach to child care, expecting more academics or structure, even for their youngest.
—Jackie Mader, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024
Now, China is putting its freewheeling facial recognition industry on notice.
—Washington Post, 30 July 2021
Incongruity isn’t seen as a blemish, and the lyrics tend to be more freewheeling and braggadocious.
—Sheldon Pearc, The New Yorker, 30 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for freewheeling
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2025
Parents who have immigrated to Norway sometimes struggle to accept the freewheeling Norwegian approach to child care, expecting more academics or structure, even for their youngest.
—Jackie Mader, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2024
Now, China is putting its freewheeling facial recognition industry on notice.
—Washington Post, 30 July 2021
Incongruity isn’t seen as a blemish, and the lyrics tend to be more freewheeling and braggadocious.
—Sheldon Pearc, The New Yorker, 30 June 2021
See All Example Sentences for freewheeling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for freewheeling
Adjective
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Just beyond the front desk, a fire roars behind a massive stone hearth, and a live piano plays in the heart of the resort, the lobby lounge (dubbed the Living Room), a choice spot for lunch, casual meetings, or pre-dinner drinks.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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Goodman, with her friendly, approachable writing style, demystified what had previously been a wonky, mathematical discipline, allowing even casual readers to feel a newfound connection with the tides of the universe.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
This attempt to revisit the type of fanciful, footloose and fancy-twee storytelling that helped characterize that cultural moment is a big swing, and an even bigger miss.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
18 Sep. 2025
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But sis, this vacation is your time to let go of all those titles and lean into being footloose and carefree.—
Brittany Vickers,
Essence,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Slattery has a knack for giving big performances that also feel nonchalant, almost like he’s been there in that backyard the whole time yelling about lettuce, and a TV production just happened to set up shop around him.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
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In the world of street style, models offer a particular brand of nonchalant cool that the industry has long been obsessed with.—
Christina Holevas,
Vogue,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Freewheeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/freewheeling. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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