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.
Just thankful for the opportunity more than anything to be behind the wheel in the Cup Series. Joseph Wolkin, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 The 43-year-old man behind the wheel of the Charger then bounced off the sweeper, lost control of his car and crashed into the cop, trapping him between the Charger and his own patrol car. Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 14 Mar. 2025 Pitt himself hopped behind the wheel at the Silverstone racetrack, undergoing around five months of driver training to take on the role. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2025 Hamilton also allegedly tried to detain a suspicious person while behind the wheel of a police vehicle in 2023, despite not being certified as a police officer in Colorado, and used a town credit card to shop at Costco. Max Levy, The Denver Post, 14 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Behind the wheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behind%20the%20wheel. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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