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.
Johnson's 28-year-old boyfriend, who was behind the wheel, was also hit but managed to pull off to a nearby gas station and call 911. Steven Rosenbaum, CBS News, 11 Dec. 2025 Reduced fatigue behind the wheel Of course, improving driver assist systems can also benefit licensed drivers who may rely on the platforms while driving long distances. Jackie Charniga, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025 Encouraging multitasking behind the wheel turns these features into convenience factors, rather than the safety precautions they were intended to be. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Dec. 2025 Soon social media was flooded with photos of the president smiling, behind the wheel of the F-150 Lightning. Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 3 Dec. 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

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Cite this Entry

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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