behind the wheel

idiomatic phrase

: in the act of driving
I was nervous my first time behind the wheel.
He urged drivers to stop and rest if they feel tired behind the wheel.Yaron Steinbuch
… will start enforcing a requirement for commercial truck drivers travelling between provinces to track their hours behind the wheelKarina Zapata

Examples of behind the wheel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The woman behind the wheel of the Ford received major injuries in the wreck and was taken to a hospital. Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 14 Jan. 2025 Last season saw driver Lawless Alan behind the wheel of the No. 33, with results that included a fifth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025 Briana Michelle Contreras, 25, was behind the wheel of an eastbound Honda Civic that collided with a Nissan Kicks about 12:45 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2024. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Jan. 2025 Those behind the wheel of ordinary passenger vehicles — cars, SUVs and pickup trucks — will be charged $9 for entering the zone between the hours of 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, or 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends. Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for behind the wheel 

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of behind the wheel was in 1906

Dictionary Entries Near behind the wheel

Cite this Entry

“Behind the wheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behind%20the%20wheel. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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