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.
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