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Synonyms

steering wheel

American  

noun

  1. a wheel used by a driver, pilot, or the like, to steer an automobile, ship, etc.

steering wheel British  

noun

  1. a wheel turned by the driver of a motor vehicle, ship, etc, when he wishes to change direction. It is connected to the front wheels, rudder, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of steering wheel

First recorded in 1740–50

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.

The light green Apollo Go logo was visible on the steering wheel.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Amazon-backed Zoox also is serving the public in San Francisco and Las Vegas in purpose-built, pill-shaped autonomous vehicles with no steering wheel or gas pedal.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

After frantic work in the garage, Mercedes managed to fix Russell's car by applying a series of default procedures such as switching the car off and on again and swapping out the steering wheel.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Tesla’s grand plan for the future is a car with no steering wheel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

With the steering wheel in the way, I can’t get comfortable.

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle

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.