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wheelie

American  
[hwee-lee, wee-] / ˈʰwi li, ˈwi- /

noun

  1. a small, usually folding, metal frame with wheels for carrying luggage or small packages.

  2. a maneuver in which a bicycle, motorcycle, or car has its front wheel or wheels momentarily lifted off the ground.


wheelie British  
/ ˈwiːlɪ /

noun

  1. 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.

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

Police have released a description of distinctive tattoos on a man found dead in a wheelie bin, as part of officers' efforts to identify him.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

"I mean I'm envious, I wish I could pop a wheelie like that. I'm just thankful I don't have boys that age."

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

Possibly a wheelie version of “Everesting”—the climbing challenge in which cyclists do hill repeats to replicate the 29,029 foot ascent of Mt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

He completed Maneuver #42 in a spectacular wheelie.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

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