tailgate
verb
tailgated; tailgating
1
: to drive dangerously close behind another vehicle
2
US
: to have a tailgate party
: to drive dangerously close behind
tailgater
noun
Examples of tailgate in a Sentence
He hit the car in front of him because he was tailgating.
They started tailgating at 10 o'clock.
Recent Examples on the Web
In Southern California, a driver was charged after video showed a blue BMW tailgated bikers riding in a bike lane in Newport Beach – forcing one cyclist to jump onto a curb to avoid being hit on March 21.
—
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 24 May 2026
Reports emerged this week that tailgating is outlawed during World Cup matches in Boston — and with parking banned at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, there will be no way for fans to tailgate outside.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
While driving the five miles home, she was recorded tailgating other vehicles, swerving off the road and crossing over into the on-coming lane, according to the Daily Mail.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
Consider going all out and tailgate, or watch the game while enjoying cheese curds and wings at Stadium View Bar, bratwurst at Johnsonville Tailgate Village or bloody marys at Anduzzi’s Sports Club.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tailgate
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.
Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 24 May 2026
Reports emerged this week that tailgating is outlawed during World Cup matches in Boston — and with parking banned at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, there will be no way for fans to tailgate outside.
—Joe Brandt, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
While driving the five miles home, she was recorded tailgating other vehicles, swerving off the road and crossing over into the on-coming lane, according to the Daily Mail.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
Consider going all out and tailgate, or watch the game while enjoying cheese curds and wings at Stadium View Bar, bratwurst at Johnsonville Tailgate Village or bloody marys at Anduzzi’s Sports Club.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tailgate
Cite this Entry
“Tailgate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailgate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
