wheelhouse

American  

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

noun

• wheelhouses
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• wheelhouses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of wheelhouse

First recorded in 1805–15; wheel + house

Explanation

A wheelhouse is literally a small enclosure on a boat or ship that houses the steering wheel. The captain navigates the ship from the wheelhouse. On land, though, something in your wheelhouse is in your area of expertise. The term wheelhouse was first used in the mid-1800s to describe the area of a steamboat that enclosed its steering wheel. You can use the word to describe the part of any boat where the captain steers, though it's more common these days to call an actual wheelhouse a bridge or pilothouse. Now, a wheelhouse often refers to something more general. For example, if you’re an animal lover, finding homes for pets is right in your wheelhouse.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wheelhouse wheelhouses

“I’ve been doing that for 3 decades. That’s my wheelhouse: disappointing fans when they find out what the songs are really about.”

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

He also added that Iamaleava will have to play within his wheelhouse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

Mr. Whigham is in his actorly wheelhouse, moral degeneracy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025

I am completely out of my wheelhouse publicly, not privately, because I was in improv teams since I was 14.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2025

That’s right in Dad’s wheelhouse: my future, which doesn’t look so bright anymore.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Riggs, whose county includes the popular ice-fishing destination Upper Red Lake, said conservation officers and county deputies have responded to several recent incidents of vehicles and wheelhouses falling through the ice.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 29, 2023

The actors are a mix of people Baker cast off the street and professionals removed slightly from their wheelhouses.

From New York Times ● Dec. 16, 2021

On Tuesday, Bloomberg ventured into another of Warren’s wheelhouses - access to financial services.

From Reuters ● Feb. 18, 2020

Jewell is part of a team of 21 interns from Seattle Maritime Academy and California Maritime who’ve worked in the engine rooms, decks and wheelhouses of Washington’s ferries all summer.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 14, 2017

The wheelhouses of sunken fishingboats standing out of the gray chop.

From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy