training wheels
plural noun
: a pair of small wheels connected to the rear axle of a bicycle to help a beginning bicyclist maintain balance
—often used figuratively
… they took off the training wheels and threw 185.2 innings last season.—
Adam Burke
Adam BurkeExamples of training wheels in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
A little girl riding a bike with training wheels, notwithstanding her hot pink tutu.
—Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
Her kids could ride fearlessly through the halls on training wheels, and guests could dance heartily at parties.
—Keith Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
Joseph has to take the training wheels off Barron at some point, as Denver needs serious passing-game help.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2025
In hindsight, Bottle Rocket really does feel like Anderson working with the training wheels on, which gives the movie a charming innocence.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for training wheels
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
Her kids could ride fearlessly through the halls on training wheels, and guests could dance heartily at parties.
—Keith Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 6 Feb. 2026
Joseph has to take the training wheels off Barron at some point, as Denver needs serious passing-game help.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 25 Dec. 2025
In hindsight, Bottle Rocket really does feel like Anderson working with the training wheels on, which gives the movie a charming innocence.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for training wheels
Cite this Entry
“Training wheels.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/training%20wheels. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
