behind the wheel

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Prepositional phrase

behind the wheel

1. In control of a vehicle; driving.

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

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

2. (idiomatic) In control of the situation; in charge.

Synonyms

• at the wheel

Related terms

• take the wheel

Translations

in control of a vehicle

• Arabic: خَلْفَ الْمِقْوَد (ḵalfa l-miqwad)
• Belarusian: за рулём (za ruljóm)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 方向盤後面／方向盘后面 (fāngxiàngpán hòumiàn)

• Finnish: ratissa
• French: au volant
• German: hinterm Steuerrad, hinterm Steuer, hinterm Lenkrad, am Steuerrad, am Steuer, am Lenkrad
• Greek: στο τιμόνι (sto timóni)
• Italian: al volante
• Japanese: 運転して (ja) (うんてんして, unten shite)
• Korean: 운전하면서 (ko) (unjeonhamyeonseo)
• Polish: za kółkiem (pl)
• Portuguese: no volante
• Russian: за рулём (za ruljóm)
• Swedish: bakom ratten, vid ratten
• Ukrainian: за кермо́м (za kermóm)