Meaning & use
steering wheel
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
The circular wheel that a driver turns to control the direction of a car, bus, or other vehicle.
Grammar: Countable; can be used with 'a' or 'the'. Often in the phrase 'behind the steering wheel' meaning driving.
Patterns
- turn the steering wheel
- hold the steering wheel
- behind the steering wheel
She gripped the steering wheel tightly as she turned the corner.
He sat behind the steering wheel, ready to drive off.
The steering wheel was covered in soft leather.
Word forms
| plural | steering wheels |
|---|
Common combinations
- turn the steering wheel
- Turn the steering wheel gently to the left.
- grip the steering wheel
- Grip the steering wheel firmly with both hands.
- behind the steering wheel
- She spent hours behind the steering wheel.
- power steering wheel
- The car has a power steering wheel for easy turning.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: steering wheel or wheel?
steering wheel vs wheel
A wheel is any round object that turns, such as a car wheel; a steering wheel is specifically the one you hold to steer.
Practice
What do you do with a steering wheel?
Choose one answer.
You turn the steering wheel to change the car's direction. Pressing it does not stop the car (that's the brake), and pulling or pushing it does not open doors or start the engine.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “steering wheel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.