tailwind

noun

tail·​wind ˈtāl-ˌwind How to pronounce tailwind (audio)
plural tailwinds
1
: a wind having the same general direction as a course of movement (as of an aircraft)
2
: a force or influence that advances progress toward an improved condition
… the strengthening housing market should be providing tailwinds for home improvement retailers.Katherine Peralta
Medicare reform is a thorny problem even when the political tailwinds are favorable.Russ Wiles

Examples of tailwind in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Sailors can easily find themselves with a headwind or a tailwind, and conditions can change very quickly. Ryan Weissmueller, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 While that can help give a tailwind to aircraft flying east, there are also downsides, such as more turbulence — and stronger headwinds for flights heading west. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 20 Feb. 2024 The weight of public emotion over her husband’s death and the international spotlight are both significant tailwinds, argues Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat who resigned in 2022 in protest over the invasion of Ukraine. Clare Sebastian, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024 Boosted by the extreme tailwind, the Virgin Atlantic jet reached a peak speed of 802 mph at 11:20 p.m. Saturday, data from the online tracker Flight Aware indicated. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2024 Putting those two forces together, the AI tailwind is going to win hands down. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 Many software platforms, specifically those that help organizations cut costs or improve efficiency, can use the recession as a tailwind for rapid growth. Rahil Shah, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 Knight expected tailwinds from lower raw materials and logistics costs. Colleen Barry, Quartz, 15 Feb. 2024 Another interesting contrast with Airbnb is that while the short-term home-rental service has caused friction with local governments since its inception, Samara appears to have some favorable regulatory tailwinds blowing its way. Byalexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tailwind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tailwind was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near tailwind

Cite this Entry

“Tailwind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailwind. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tail wind

noun
: a wind having the same general direction as the course of a moving object (as an aircraft)

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