wheelhouse
Americannoun
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an area of expertise: Critical thinking is the wheelhouse of the liberal arts.
This product plays directly into marketing’s wheelhouse.
Critical thinking is the wheelhouse of the liberal arts.
idioms
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in the same wheelhouse, very similar and usually in the same category.
The two folk singers are in the same wheelhouse.
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in one’s wheelhouse,
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Baseball. (of a pitch) within the zone that is most advantageous for a batter to hit a home run.
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within one’s area of expertise or interest.
There are some subjects that are in your wheelhouse and some that are not.
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noun
Etymology
Origin of wheelhouse
Explanation
A wheelhouse is literally a small enclosure on a boat or ship that houses the steering wheel. The captain navigates the ship from the wheelhouse. On land, though, something in your wheelhouse is in your area of expertise. The term wheelhouse was first used in the mid-1800s to describe the area of a steamboat that enclosed its steering wheel. You can use the word to describe the part of any boat where the captain steers, though it's more common these days to call an actual wheelhouse a bridge or pilothouse. Now, a wheelhouse often refers to something more general. For example, if you’re an animal lover, finding homes for pets is right in your wheelhouse.
Vocabulary lists containing wheelhouse
"A Night to Remember," Vocabulary from the history writing
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A Night to Remember
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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.
But drawing up a workable game plan for Jarrett Stidham is right in Sean Payton’s wheelhouse, so don’t count out the Broncos.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2026
Mr. Whigham is in his actorly wheelhouse, moral degeneracy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
The theme - Superfine: Tailoring Black Style - was "completely in my wheelhouse", he says, as it looked at the way that style formed black identities.
From BBC • May 16, 2025
National Review was—and probably still is—the nation’s standard-bearer editorial vessel for conservative thought, so, naturally, it is well outside my wheelhouse.
From Slate • Apr. 25, 2025
A crowd had gathered around the queen's wheelhouse.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
