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

Alphabet’s strong advance earlier this year was a major tailwind for XLC, though that leadership has faded in recent weeks. —Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 17 Dec. 2025

The second big tailwind for Ukraine has been falling oil prices driven by a global oversupply. —Vasco Cotovio, CNN Money, 11 Dec. 2025

The deal is really a testament to the vitality of the Aventura submarket, Miami’s broader market tailwinds, and most evidently, our teams’ capabilities. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025

Despite tailwinds in Tennessee, the fact remains that Democrats are facing voters with some of their lowest polling on the books; CNN’s survey last month found Democrats’ unfavorable levels the highest going back more than 30 years of network numbers. —Philip Elliott, Time, 2 Dec. 2025

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)