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 footage showed Jordan sitting behind the wheel of a blue sports car, which was stuck on the side of a train track, as police officers approached him. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 6 Feb. 2025 Doctors pronounced him dead shortly after 8 p.m. Police did not have a detailed description of the SUV or the driver behind the wheel. Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025 British racing great Stirling Moss is behind the wheel of Jaguar‘s groundbreaking new D-Type and leading the race. Howard Walker, Robb Report, 3 Feb. 2025 The driver was behind the wheel of the tug–an airport vehicle used to push aircraft– around 7 p.m. on an O’Hare taxiway, attempting to cross a runway and was clipped by an aircraft wing, police said. William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 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 22 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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