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
Take the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission’s shifts into your own hands with the paddles behind the wheel to keep the howling V8 near the redline, click the manettino drive mode switch into Race, and this GT transforms into a vicious back-road-devouring beast.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 17 May 2024
An Uber vehicle operating autonomously, with a safety driver behind the wheel, hit and killed a person who was jaywalking in Tempe.
—Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for behind the wheel 
Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 17 May 2024
An Uber vehicle operating autonomously, with a safety driver behind the wheel, hit and killed a person who was jaywalking in Tempe.
—Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 13 May 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 29 May. 2024.
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