1
: a board or gate at the rear of a vehicle that can be removed or let down (as for loading)
2
[from the custom of seating trombonists at the rear of trucks carrying jazz bands in parades]
: a jazz trombone style marked by much use of slides to and from long sustained tones
3
US
: tailgate party
Nowadays, tailgates have evolved into mobile feasts: face-to-face social networks where complete strangers bond over food and drink, and everyone is eager to share.—
Greg Ferro
Greg Ferro
tailgated; tailgating
1
: to drive dangerously close behind another vehicle
2
US
: to have a tailgate party
: to drive dangerously close behind
tailgater
noun
US
: relating to or being a tailgate party
Examples of tailgate in a Sentence
Verb
He hit the car in front of him because he was tailgating.
They started tailgating at 10 o'clock.
Recent Examples on the Web
Julia Bonavita , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
There are some opaque methods for opening car tailgates, but Smart’s must be one of the most obscure.
—James Morris, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2025
For the dads out there who love to tailgate, the coolers are the perfect choice.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2025
The tailgate event will expand to three days this go-around, an increase from one day last year, with activities from Friday to Sunday (May 16-18).
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tailgate
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Noun
Additionally, deputies found two bloody handprints on the tailgate of Decker’s vehicle.
—Julia Bonavita , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
There are some opaque methods for opening car tailgates, but Smart’s must be one of the most obscure.
—James Morris, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
Verb
Other residents who spoke with The Star questioned where fans would park or tailgate at a new stadium up north.
Smith, North Kansas City’s new mayor, said this scale of development is something the city has talked about since the 1980s.
—Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2025
For the dads out there who love to tailgate, the coolers are the perfect choice.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 May 2025
Adjective
Father’s Day Sunday: Royals vs. Athletics, 1:10 p.m. Fans who purchase a theme ticket will receive a tailgate meal in the Hall of Fame Tent prior to the game.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2025
The tailgate event will expand to three days this go-around, an increase from one day last year, with activities from Friday to Sunday (May 16-18).
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tailgate
Cite this Entry
“Tailgate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailgate. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tailgate
1 of 2 noun
tail·gate
ˈtā(ə)l-ˌgāt 
: a panel at the back end of a vehicle (as a station wagon) that can be let down for loading and unloading
tailgate
2 of 2 verb
tailgated; tailgating
: to drive dangerously close behind another vehicle
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