driver's seat
Americannoun
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the seat from which a vehicle is operated.
-
a position of power, dominance, control, or superiority.
After the election the Democrats were back in the driver's seat.
Etymology
Origin of driver's seat
First recorded in 1920–25
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.
Obviously having the great Jean Smart in the driver’s seat helped a lot — she revealed the woman beneath the diva even in Deborah’s most outrageous actions.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
Kidd landed in Dallas instead and seemed in the driver’s seat for a long ride until the Doncic trade.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026
Her rationale is that it puts brands back in the driver’s seat.
From Barron's • May 12, 2026
“This structure ensures parents stay in the driver’s seat during the learning years, while giving kids real, hands-on experience that prepares them for financial independence,” Jennifer Seitz, Greenlight’s director of education, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
I sleep in Mom’s car, alone, in the driver’s seat.
From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle
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.
