wheelhouse

American  

[weel-hous, hweel-] / ˈwilˌhaʊs, ˈʰwil- /

noun

plural

wheelhouses

1. pilothouse.

2. 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.

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idioms

1. in the same wheelhouse, very similar and usually in the same category.

   The two folk singers are in the same wheelhouse.

2. in one’s wheelhouse,

   1. Baseball. (of a pitch) within the zone that is most advantageous for a batter to hit a home run.

   2. within one’s area of expertise or interest.

      There are some subjects that are in your wheelhouse and some that are not.

wheelhouse British  

/ ˈwiːlˌhaʊs /

noun

1. another term for pilot house

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Etymology

Origin of wheelhouse

First recorded in 1805–15; wheel + house

Example Sentences

That, of course, is not in this administration’s wheelhouse.

From Salon • Feb. 26, 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

While his job is all about solving problems, the issues he’s been facing lately have been a bit out of his wheelhouse.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman