Synonyms

wheelman

American

[weel-muhn, hweel-] / ˈwil mən, ˈʰwil- /

noun

plural

wheelmen

Also wheelsman a helmsperson or steersperson.
a rider of a bicycle, tricycle, or the like.
Slang.
1. a driver, especially a chauffeur.
  
  The mobster's wheelman was also his bodyguard.
2. a person who drives the getaway car in a holdup or robbery.

Etymology

Origin of wheelman

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; wheel + -man

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.

“I never thought I was taking a risk. I know how good he is, I’m just fortunate we were able to get him, and man, what a wheelman he is,” Hendrick said.

From Washington Post • Nov. 7, 2021

“I never thought I was taking a risk. I know how good he is, I’m just fortunate we were able to get him, and man, what a wheelman he is,” said Hendrick.

From Washington Times • Nov. 7, 2021

You see, Bug used to be an expert wheelman, the best getaway driver East of the Mississippi ever since his father left.

From Salon • Jul. 8, 2020

But unlike Newman, who took up racing late in life as preparation for the lead in the 1969 classic Winning and willed himself into a first-rate wheelman, Haywood was a natural.

From The Guardian • May 24, 2019

Small floes were avoided by no effort of the wheelman and thin ice, formed overnight, was ripped as satin by a knife.

From The Ice Pilot by Leverage, Henry

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