1
: the rear flap of a man's coat
2
coattails plural
: the skirts of a dress coat, cutaway, or frock coat
3
coattails plural
: the influence or pulling power of a popular movement or person (such as a political candidate)
congressmen riding into office on the president's coattails
Examples of coattail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Grasping onto the coattails of the waning mid-aughts, Simon Says failed to conjure much interest at the time.
—
Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025
This will presumably result in less coattail voting.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2025
The second, published this month, was designed to give the reader a book to push through the stubborn coattails of winter and into the warmth of spring.
—Stefano Montali, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Another nominee seasoned by primary battles could have fared better against the very flawed Trump and provided coattails for other Democratic candidates.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coattail
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Jessie Schiewe, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2025
This will presumably result in less coattail voting.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2025
The second, published this month, was designed to give the reader a book to push through the stubborn coattails of winter and into the warmth of spring.
—Stefano Montali, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
Another nominee seasoned by primary battles could have fared better against the very flawed Trump and provided coattails for other Democratic candidates.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for coattail
Cite this Entry
“Coattail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coattail. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coattail
noun
coat·tail
ˈkōt-ˌtāl 
1
: the rear flap of a man's coat
2
plural
: the influence of a popular movement or person
politicians riding into office on the president's coattails
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