free·wheel
ˈfrē-ˈ(h)wēl 
: a clutch fitted in the rear hub of a bicycle that permits the rear wheel to run on free from the rear sprocket when the pedals are stopped
freewheeled; freewheeling; freewheels
1
: to roll along freely independent of a gear
2
: to move, live, or play freely or irresponsibly
freewheeler
noun
Examples of freewheel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
On the other side, the spokes meet the axle slightly off-center, while the gears (and the freewheel that allows them to rotate freely in only one direction) take up the space between there and the frame.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 10 Nov. 2018
Armond White, National Review, 9 Apr. 2025
The connecting web of relationships, motives and money can be dizzying, especially with the freewheeling geographic and temporal jumps, and the middle of The Accountant 2 meanders.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2025
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Noun
Through a backpedal motion, the freewheel on the Utility S2 shift from one chain tension to another, high gear or low.
—Carlton Reid, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025
On the other side, the spokes meet the axle slightly off-center, while the gears (and the freewheel that allows them to rotate freely in only one direction) take up the space between there and the frame.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 10 Nov. 2018
Verb
But this season, showrunner Mike White pinpoints the willful decadence of the Western world, primarily through Yankees: the husband, wife, and 2.5 children of the Ratliff family, three freewheeling feminist matrons, plus a shady white bachelor and a single black mother.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Apr. 2025
The connecting web of relationships, motives and money can be dizzying, especially with the freewheeling geographic and temporal jumps, and the middle of The Accountant 2 meanders.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for freewheel
Cite this Entry
“Freewheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freewheel. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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