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

The quarter reinforced our view that AI is a major tailwind for cybersecurity. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026

While there’s been some speculation that GLP-1 weight loss drugs would be a tailwind for brands like Victoria’s Secret, Super said the company’s not seeing a huge impact. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026

To that end, the bond between Williams and Johnson feels like a significant tailwind for the Bears. — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

The foldable phone launch will likely provide a tailwind of friendly press coverage to help usher him in, but Ternus can’t bank on a long honeymoon period. — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 31 Aug. 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)