wheels
Britishplural noun
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the main directing force behind an organization, movement, etc
the wheels of government
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an informal word for car
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a series of intricately connected events, plots, etc
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.
Contrary to what you learned in civics class, the grease that keeps the wheels of American democracy turning isn’t voters, legislation, or donor cash; it’s staffers.
From Slate ● Aug. 27, 2026
The fund’s positioning became, in effect, one big bet on the AI trade and in July, the wheels came off that bandwagon.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
The fans goaded Kuniskis to rip a burnout, spinning the truck’s wheels in place until rubber turned into smoke.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Civilians and soldiers, sat behind the wheels of the vehicles, lined up, waiting for the pumps to reopen.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
I was correct in my initial assessment that two wheels are missing.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
