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Glite Dictionary
driver's seat

driver's seat

18 4.1
A position of control where someone makes important decisions
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : mando
  • At 8-1, the Falcons are still in the driver's seat in the NFC South.
  • Back in the driver's seat
  • jumped into the driver's seat
  • getting in the driver's seat

Examples

  • The winner of the Georgia-Florida game will be in the driver's seat in the SEC East.

    Blog text (27)

  • The Association is in the driver's seat trying to shift the car into third gear.

    Blog text (14)

  • I was never even in the driver's seat of my own life.

    Wild (2014)

  • Which one of us is in the driver's seat?

    The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006)

  • Usually you are in the driver's seat.

    Love in the Afternoon (1957)

  • I mean, you're in the driver's seat here.

    Waiting... (2005)

  • A win would have put BGSU in the driver's seat in the East Division race.

    Blog text (31)

  • "Does this mean the Democrats are in the driver's seat for the foreseeable future?" he asked.

    Blog text (4)

  • Empowering the client to identify personal goals puts the client in the driver's seat, creating balance and motivation in the client-case manager relationship.

    Academic text (2010)

  • In the negotiations, the CEO was finally in the driver's seat and could dictate the terms.

Synonyms

behind the wheel
vsdriver's seat
77 3.4

To drive and be in control of a car or other vehicle

refers to leadership and decision authority not literal driving
helm
vsdriver's seat
61 6.7

Control of a group or organization by its leader

is about holding control as a position for making decisions
at the wheel
vsdriver's seat
19 4.3

In charge of a situation or group and guiding what happens

focuses on authority and decision power rather than active guiding
in the driver's seat
vsdriver's seat
17 4.4

Being in control of a situation and making the decisions

has the same meaning but functions as a noun for the position
to hold the reins
vsdriver's seat
  • Informal
3 4.9

To be in control of a group or business

stresses formal authority of a role rather than hands on managing
in the catbird seat
vsdriver's seat
  • Archaic
3 9.1

A strong position with power or advantage

emphasizes direct control and authority to make important decisions

Antonyms

subordinate
21 4.8

Lower in rank or importance and under someone's control

How Powerful

driver's seat
  • Informal
18 4.1
advisor
  • US
271 2.8
assistant
833 1.0
bystander
84 3.4

Surface Forms

driver's seat singular
driver's seats plural

Morphology

driver's + seat

The literal parts 'driver' (the person who controls a vehicle) and 'seat' (a place or position) combine to create a metaphorical image of someone occupying a position of control. This is a predictable metaphor (controlling a vehicle → having control), so learners may often infer the meaning, but it is a figurative extension rather than fully compositional, making it only partially transparent to B1 learners.

Etymology

Driver's seat comes from the image of the person who sits at the front of a car and holds the controls. The driver in the seat picks the direction and speed, so being in the driver's seat today means being 'in control' of a situation.