tailspin
noun
tail·spin
ˈtāl-ˌspin 
1
2
: a mental or emotional letdown or collapse
3
: a sustained and usually severe decline or downturn
stock prices in a tailspin
Examples of tailspin in a Sentence
Stock prices are in a tailspin.
The team went into a tailspin and lost six straight games.
Recent Examples on the Web
The frenzy traces back to July 2025, when Maas posted a video to Instagram that sent her massive fanbase into a tailspin.
—
Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
The hemp industry went into a tailspin when Congress approved a provision sandwiched in a November funding bill to end the government shutdown.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 3 Mar. 2026
In this Alexander Payne–esque comedy series, one negative review sends Broadway star Richard Bean (Kevin Kline) into a tailspin.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
The last game Carlsson played was a loss in Buffalo that was the Ducks’ ninth straight, a tailspin that exceeded anything the Ducks had seen in two years under Coach Joel Quenneville’s predecessor, Greg Cronin, with decidedly more lackluster rosters.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tailspin
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2026
The hemp industry went into a tailspin when Congress approved a provision sandwiched in a November funding bill to end the government shutdown.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 3 Mar. 2026
In this Alexander Payne–esque comedy series, one negative review sends Broadway star Richard Bean (Kevin Kline) into a tailspin.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
The last game Carlsson played was a loss in Buffalo that was the Ducks’ ninth straight, a tailspin that exceeded anything the Ducks had seen in two years under Coach Joel Quenneville’s predecessor, Greg Cronin, with decidedly more lackluster rosters.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tailspin
Cite this Entry
“Tailspin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailspin. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tailspin
noun
tail·spin
ˈtā(ə)l-ˌspin
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
