wheelie

American

[hwee-lee, wee-] / ˈʰwi li, ˈwi- /

noun

a small, usually folding, metal frame with wheels for carrying luggage or small packages.
a maneuver in which a bicycle, motorcycle, or car has its front wheel or wheels momentarily lifted off the ground.

wheelie British

/ ˈwiːlɪ /

noun

a manoeuvre on a bicycle or motorbike in which the front wheel is raised off the ground

"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 wheelie

First recorded in 1960–65; wheel + -ie

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.

See Examples For:

wheelie

“Gen X: We straight up raised ourselves,” reads the caption on one popular internet meme, a photo of an unhelmeted child on a rickety-looking bicycle popping a wheelie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Images circulating on social media showed the truck performing a wheelie before swerving off the track and crashing into the barriers separating the public from the track.

From Barron's ● May 4, 2026

Kids on wheelie bikes whizzed by the throngs of news cameras on Monday - hoping to show off their skills on the evening news or in some influencer's video.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

Mr Hargreaves said he had already planned his next challenge with his friend, to ride a tandem bike with wheelie bins attached, from Land's End in Cornwall to John O'Groats in Scotland.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

"Pepperidge Farm," Park said, standing on the back of the cart and popping a wheelie.

From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023