take the wheel

The phrase "take the wheel" can be used literally to mean driving a vehicle or figuratively to mean assuming control of a situation.

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πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ UK Voice:

Definition

B1Driving

(literal, informal)To drive a vehicle by controlling its steering.

Example

  • Can you take the wheel while I check the map?

B2General

(figurative, common)To assume control or responsibility for a situation or task.

Example

  • When the manager left, Sarah had to take the wheel and lead the meeting.

B2Religious

(figurative, religious)To seek divine intervention, often in times of crisis.

Example

  • In her moment of despair, she prayed, 'Jesus, take the wheel.'

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "take the wheel":

take the helmat the wheelbehind the wheeltake the contake the leadin the driver's seatlet drivetake a turnat the helmtake for a spindriver's seatbig wheeltake a back seattake overwheel aboutbreak the wheelsteady hand on the tillerdrive atwheels are turningtake ittake holdtake for a rideput the pedal to the metaltake a seattake responsibility