driver's seat
Americannoun
-
the seat from which a vehicle is operated.
-
a position of power, dominance, control, or superiority.
After the election the Democrats were back in the driver's seat.
Etymology
Origin of driver's seat
First recorded in 1920–25
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.
“With these laws, we are ensuring that Californians remain in the driver’s seat — and that those profiting from data centers aren’t doing so at our expense.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
That’s a sign bond yields are now in the driver’s seat.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
No navigation, no inductive charging pad, no remotely operated rear window, no heated driver’s seat, no high-end audio, no powered side-view mirror adjustment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
It takes five hours, but finally synchronised cries of excitement come from the driver's seat and the back of the pick-up truck.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Mr. Arable dashed to the driver’s seat and pulled on the emergency brake.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
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.
