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
Yaron Steinbuch… will start enforcing a requirement for commercial truck drivers travelling between provinces to track their hours behind the wheel …—Karina Zapata
Karina ZapataExamples of behind the wheel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris began his racing career behind the wheel, winning in Midgets and Late Models before becoming a fulltime team owner.
—Greg Engle, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Jackie Wilson, then 21, was behind the wheel of a car with his brother Andrew Wilson, who shot and killed the two officers.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2024
Jolie is widely tipped as a Best Actress Oscar nominee for her role as a pill-swilling, self-pitying, vocally fraying Maria Callas in a drama with dialogue that bites, thanks to screenwriter Steven Knight behind the wheel of Callas’ demise.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2024
Rather than solely being a passenger, though, members who love to be behind the wheel will soon have a fleet of sports cars, supercars, and luxury vehicles available to them.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for behind the wheel 
Greg Engle, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
Jackie Wilson, then 21, was behind the wheel of a car with his brother Andrew Wilson, who shot and killed the two officers.
—Madeline Buckley, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2024
Jolie is widely tipped as a Best Actress Oscar nominee for her role as a pill-swilling, self-pitying, vocally fraying Maria Callas in a drama with dialogue that bites, thanks to screenwriter Steven Knight behind the wheel of Callas’ demise.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2024
Rather than solely being a passenger, though, members who love to be behind the wheel will soon have a fleet of sports cars, supercars, and luxury vehicles available to them.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for behind the wheel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'behind the wheel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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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 5 Nov. 2024.
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