as in wind
an air movement that is blowing toward something (such as a ship or an airplane) as it moves forward
Stiff headwinds caused the flight to take longer than expected.
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Recent Examples of headwind
Still, there’s enough real demand to more than counteract any political headwinds, d’Andrade said.
—
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 4 June 2026
Inditex’s continued upward trajectory — while not close to its post-pandemic highs — comes as the fashion industry is struggling to find growth at both ends of the market as consumers grapple with economic headwinds and political instability.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 3 June 2026
Race-conscious policies face serious headwinds today.
—David Blazar, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
Recent losses reshape the debate The change comes on the heels of two multi-million-dollar losses for a risk pool member at a moment when the costs to settle a lawsuit are skyrocketing and local governments face budgetary headwinds.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for headwind
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 4 June 2026
Inditex’s continued upward trajectory — while not close to its post-pandemic highs — comes as the fashion industry is struggling to find growth at both ends of the market as consumers grapple with economic headwinds and political instability.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 3 June 2026
Race-conscious policies face serious headwinds today.
—David Blazar, The Conversation, 1 June 2026
Recent losses reshape the debate The change comes on the heels of two multi-million-dollar losses for a risk pool member at a moment when the costs to settle a lawsuit are skyrocketing and local governments face budgetary headwinds.
—Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for headwind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwind
wind
Noun
-
The Yankees invited him to throw out a first pitch; the Orlando Magic gave him courtside seats and fans got wind of the effort and started flooding his social media with messages and pleas.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
Residents can expect wind gusts of up to 40 mph.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwind. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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