wheelhouse
noun
wheel·house
ˈ(h)wēl-ˌhau̇s
plural wheelhouses
1
: pilothouse
Looking out at the all-but-empty bay from the wheelhouse of the new 28-foot research boat …—Bill Nemitz
He climbed a rickety rope ladder to the ship's deck, then another five flights of stairs to the wheelhouse.—Daniel Machalaba
2
: a place or center of control or leadership (as in an organization)
But while there was momentary calm in the wheelhouse, there was still a real question whether anyone was really in command of the administration's foreign-policy machinery.—David Gelman et al.
3
US
a
baseball
: the section of the strike zone where it is easiest for the batter to hit the ball well
The home run came on a 3–2 pitch. [Danny] Graves tried to get Jenkins with a sinker. "It was right in his wheelhouse," Graves said.—John Fay
b
: an area that matches a person's skills or expertise
… he was right in his wheelhouse—politics is where [Stephen] Colbert soars.—Adam Chitwood
Cite this Entry
“Wheelhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheelhouse. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.
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