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

The rally is unlikely to slow down anytime soon, with structural tailwinds likely driving more upside to the stock, per Reitzes. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026

The suit alleges the pilots of the aircraft continued an unstable approach in tailwind conditions, landed too far down the runway, and failed to initiate a go-around before the aircraft overran the runway. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

And that’s potentially a significant tailwind, as long as ESPN keeps landing the biggest games. — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026

When a plane is caught in a tailwind, gusts of air blow from behind the aircraft in the same direction the plane is flying. — Amanda Musa, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tailwind

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

Kids Definition

tail wind

noun

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