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

At the same time, enthusiasm around artificial intelligence continues to provide a powerful tailwind for equities, particularly in technology-heavy markets. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026

Federal tailwinds are arriving in parallel. —Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026

Tech heavy hitters, including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, are scheduled to report their earnings next week, which could prove to be another tailwind for stocks. —Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026

And any hope for a new dawn in LoDo, any tailwind that pushes the Rockies forward, starts with getting Bryant’s seven-year, $182-million contract off the stinkin’ books. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tailwind

• chagrined
• crosswind
• downwind
• rescind
• upwind
• whirlwind
• woodwind
• finned
• ginned
• grinned
• pinned
• sinned

Kids Definition

tail wind

noun

: a wind having the same general direction as the course of a moving object (as an aircraft)