fishtail
verb
fish·tail
ˈfish-ˌtāl 
fishtailed; fishtailing; fishtails
1
: to swing the tail of an airplane from side to side to reduce speed especially when landing
2
: to have the rear end slide from side to side out of control while moving forward
the car fishtailed on the icy curve
Examples of fishtail in a Sentence
The car fishtailed on the icy curve.
Recent Examples on the Web
Some left-handers’ throws can tend to fishtail at the end of deeper balls, though velocity helps dull the difference.
—
Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
Nevis Creek, a noisy, shallow stream with occasional deep pools full of lazy Dolly Varden trout, fishtailed back and forth from wall to wall of its canyon.
—Jack O’Connor, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2024
And Kerry grew tired of manipulative and erratic behavior, and lies that fishtailed from the banal to the bizarre.
—Sean Williams, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2023
But, as Fox has fishtailed around trying to find a way to accommodate Trump while asserting its own primacy, some might say that, whoever’s been in charge, it’s felt like a post-Rupert network for years.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fishtail
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Jourdan Rodrigue, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
Nevis Creek, a noisy, shallow stream with occasional deep pools full of lazy Dolly Varden trout, fishtailed back and forth from wall to wall of its canyon.
—Jack O’Connor, Outdoor Life, 4 Sep. 2024
And Kerry grew tired of manipulative and erratic behavior, and lies that fishtailed from the banal to the bizarre.
—Sean Williams, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2023
But, as Fox has fishtailed around trying to find a way to accommodate Trump while asserting its own primacy, some might say that, whoever’s been in charge, it’s felt like a post-Rupert network for years.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023
See All Example Sentences for fishtail
Cite this Entry
“Fishtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fishtail. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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