wheelie

noun

wheel·​ie ˈ(h)wē-lē How to pronounce wheelie (audio)
: a maneuver in which a wheeled vehicle (such as a bicycle) is momentarily balanced on its rear wheel or wheels

Examples of wheelie in a Sentence

He did a wheelie on his bike.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
While the officer was crouched down, the ATV driver lifted the vehicle into a wheelie, striking the officer in the face, the statement said. Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2025 Police said witnesses alleged that the motorcyclist was driving erratically before the crash, doing wheelies and traveling at a high rate of speed. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2025 Three juveniles on e-bikes were doing wheelies and riding in the middle of the lane. EMBEZZLMENT: 3:54 p.m. at O’Reilly Auto Parts on Los Gatos Boulevard. Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2025 After all, Carlsson has been at it for about 30 years now, following his first handlebar wheelie with a new record attempt three years later at Sweden's Skövde Airport. New Atlas, 8 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wheelie

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wheelie was circa 1965

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wheelie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheelie. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!