behind the wheel

prepositional phrase

In control of a vehicle; driving.

“If you've had too much to drink, don't get behind the wheel.”

Similar
at the wheelin the driver's seat
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. In control of a vehicle; driving.

    If you've had too much to drink, don't get behind the wheel.

    2 more examples

    Would you really want to be behind the wheel of a fighter jet?

    That afternoon, there were some unconfirmed sightings of the Chevy Malibu being driven around Piqua. However, it is unknown if Shaylene or someone else was behind the wheel of the vehicle.

    2026 August 6, Nicholas Muhoro, “An Ohio Teen Vanished During a One-Mile Drive in 1994. Her Locked Car Was Found Hours Later”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 06 Aug 2026

    Synonyms: at the wheel

  2. figurativelyIn control of the situation; in charge.

    Synonyms: in the driver's seat

Synonyms & antonyms

prepositional phraseIn control of a vehicle; driving.

Similar
at the wheel

prepositional phraseIn control of the situation; in charge.

Similar
in the driver's seat
Also see
at the wheel

Origin

In reference to the steering wheel.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic خَلْفَ الْمِقْوَد
  • خَلْفَ الْمِقْوَد (ḵalfa l-miqwad)in control of a vehicle
Bulgarian зад волана
  • зад волана (zad volana)in control of a vehicle
Chinese Mandarin 方向盤後面 /方向盘后面
  • 方向盤後面 /方向盘后面 (fāngxiàngpán hòumiàn)in control of a vehicle
Dutch aan het stuur, achter het stuur
  • aan het stuurin control of a vehicle
  • achter het stuurin control of a vehicle
Finnish ratissa
  • ratissain control of a vehicle
French au volant
  • au volantin control of a vehicle
German hinterm Steuerrad, hinterm Steuer
  • hinterm Steuerradin control of a vehicle
  • hinterm Steuerin control of a vehicle
  • hinterm Lenkradin control of a vehicle
  • am Steuerradin control of a vehicle
  • am Steuerin control of a vehicle
  • am Lenkradin control of a vehicle
Greek στο τιμόνι
  • στο τιμόνι (sto timóni)in control of a vehicle
Italian al volante
  • al volantein control of a vehicle
Japanese 運転して
  • 運転して (unten shite)in control of a vehicle
Korean 운전하면서
  • 운전하면서 (unjeonhamyeonseo)in control of a vehicle
Polish za kółkiem
  • za kółkiemin control of a vehicle
Portuguese no volante
  • no volantein control of a vehicle
Russian за рулём
  • за рулём (za ruljóm)in control of a vehicle
Swedish bakom ratten, vid ratten
  • bakom rattenin control of a vehicle
  • vid rattenin control of a vehicle
Ukrainian за кермо́м
  • за кермо́м (za kermóm)in control of a vehicle
Cite this entry
APA

behind the wheel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/behind%20the%20wheel

MLA

“behind the wheel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/behind%20the%20wheel. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “behind the wheel,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/behind%20the%20wheel.

Source: behind the wheel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.