in the driver's seat

Idioms  

1. Also, in the saddle. In control, in a position of authority. For example, With the boss on vacation, Mr. Burns was in the driver's seat and enjoying it, or She waited until after the election, knowing that she'd be in the saddle then. The first expression dates from the 1800s, the second from the early 1600s. Also see at the helm.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in the driver's seat

But my generation also understands AI should only ever be the grease on the wheels, never the one in the driver’s seat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

T.I. performed his hits “Top Back” and “Let ‘Em Know” sitting atop a car, with his son, King, in the driver’s seat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

“He got in the driver’s seat when the deregulation trend was incipient. He was a champion of deregulating the financial industry.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

Mercedes’s move to put Antonelli in the driver’s seat at 17 years old was seen as a huge risk.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

I sat in the driver's seat, Belet riding shotgun, or, in her case, riding scimitar with Kasusu.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda