tailwind

noun

tail·​wind ˈtāl-ˌwind 

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

Right around now is when the tailwinds would start to kick in if historical statistics were all that mattered. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026

The third force is a cultural tailwind that works differently for each brand. — Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026

The suit alleges the pilots of the aircraft continued an unstable approach in tailwind conditions, landed too far down the runway, and failed to initiate a go-around before the aircraft overran the runway. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

And that’s potentially a significant tailwind, as long as ESPN keeps landing the biggest games. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tailwind

• chagrined
• downwind
• rescind
• upwind
• whirlwind
• woodwind
• finned
• ginned
• grinned
• pinned
• sinned
• skinned

Kids Definition

tail wind

noun

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