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Synonyms

at the helm

Idioms  

  1. In charge, in command, as in With Charles at the helm, the company is bound to prosper. This phrase transfers the idea of steering a ship to directing other enterprises. [Early 1500s] Also see the synonym at the wheel.

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.

He had no reason to worry with James at the helm.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

At its current price, not a lot has to go right for this trillion-dollar conglomerate to generate market-beating returns—even without Warren Buffett at the helm.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Michael Mullins, 56, who had been at the helm of Stretford Grammar School in Greater Manchester for 17 years, died in the crash involving a car on Paddock Lane in Altrincham on Monday evening.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

In his second season at the helm, he’s proving he can make the adjustments necessary to beat Houston in a first-round playoff series.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

With the boats still a hundred yards out from shore, Cole recognized Garvey’s stocky bulldog figure at the helm inside the cabin.

From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen

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.