glide path

noun

1
2
: a course of action that leads easily to an expected outcome
While Markey has been a fine member of Congress for decades, he isn't owed a glide path to another term.Adrian Walker
… a state that invests more in locking up prisoners than in opening doors to education is on a glide path to mediocrity.John Stobo
Elite law schools are not always a glide path to becoming a partner at a big law firm.Elizabeth Olson

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web On our glide path to extinction. Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2021 That turbulence knocked us off our glide path. Elliot Ackerman, Wired, 23 Feb. 2021 Secretary of State William F. Galvin, a Brighton Democrat, also appears on a glide path to a historic eighth term in office. Matt Stout, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Oct. 2022 The July data had stoked optimism that the Fed’s interest rate hikes were already taming the beast, the peak was past, and consumer prices would meaningfully fall in August, sending the U.S. on a glide path to the Fed’s 2% target and creating space for the central bank to ease up. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 17 Sep. 2022 Along with his 0-3 mark against Belichick, who came out on top, 21-13, in the 2017 contest against Lynn’s first team, the Chargers boss is 1-7 against Andy Reid, a division rival whose Chiefs (11-1) are on a glide path to a fifth AFC West title in a row. Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Dec. 2020 This should be considered a national strength to build on, not a national shame to be put on a glide path to extinction. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 30 Oct. 2020 As a result, the glide path McCarthy envisioned to the speaker’s gavel was far more of a grind. Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2022 The GOP seems on a glide path to win at least enough seats in November’s elections to overtake the Democrats’ razor-thin margin. Philip Elliott, Time, 28 Apr. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'glide path.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of glide path was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near glide path

Cite this Entry

“Glide path.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glide%20path. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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