tailspin

noun

tail·​spin ˈtāl-ˌspin 

1

: spin sense 2a

2

: a mental or emotional letdown or collapse

3

: a sustained and usually severe decline or downturn

stock prices in a tailspin

Synonyms

• breakdown

Examples of tailspin in a Sentence

Stock prices are in a tailspin.

The team went into a tailspin and lost six straight games.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hudson’s Bay was spun off and went bankrupt, Saks and Neiman’s vendors were thrown into a tailspin by a yearlong schedule to repay past due bills and 90-day payment terms on all shipments going forward. —Evan Clark, Footwear News, 7 July 2025

The loss of an apex predator, the introduction of an invasive species or even minor changes in climate or weather events can send island ecosystems into a tailspin. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025

Suspension of federal refugee resettlement program in January put Catholic Charities and other nonprofits into a tailspin, sending out urgent requests to donors for support. —Liam Adams, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

The public certainly does love seeing the two stars out and about together, with photos of Swift and Kelce attending the Stanley Cup Finals together recently sending the internet into a tailspin. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 1 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tailspin

• akin
• auxin
• buckskin
• chagrin
• deerskin
• foreskin
• fuchsin
• herein
• kingpin
• linchpin
• pigskin
• pinyin

Kids Definition

tailspin

noun

tail·​spin ˈtā(ə)l-ˌspin 

: spin entry 2 sense 3