wheelbase

American

[hweel-bays, weel-] / ˈʰwilˌbeɪs, ˈwil- /

noun

Automotive.

the distance from the center of the front-wheel spindle to the center of the rear-wheel axle.

wheelbase British

/ ˈwiːlˌbeɪs /

noun

the distance between the front and back axles of a motor vehicle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of wheelbase

First recorded in 1885–90; wheel + base ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

wheelbase

The latest Palisade is larger and longer, in wheelbase and overall length, than the first-gen model.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026

The cars will be smaller and lighter than this year, with a wheelbase reduced by 200mm to 3,400mm, width by 100mm - down to 1,900mm - and the minimum weight reduced by 30kg.

From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025

Chevy said the electric Equinox will have a longer wheelbase than the regular version by about nine inches but wouldn’t disclose the exact dimensions.

From The Verge ● Sep. 8, 2022

It was steered by its rear wheel, using steel cables in sheaves, and could turn in a circle with a radius only slightly greater than its wheelbase.

From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2022

The next machine shed the wing skids and widened its wheelbase.

From The Aeroplane Speaks Fifth Edition by H. (Horatio) Barber

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023