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.

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wheelie British  

/ ˈwiːlɪ /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of wheelie

First recorded in 1960–65; wheel + -ie

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wheelie

Debris remains scattered across the water, including a black wheelie suitcase bobbing on the surface and a sheet of steel that appeared to have broken away from the ferry.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

“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

Okimoto acquired a gray wheelie bag shortly after that “because I didn’t want to get the grief,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 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

“Hey Skiffy!” he goes, popping a wheelie and showing off.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

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