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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of headwind
The firm said that while there are headwinds from the Iran war, the company's recent earnings report shows Baker Hughes has the chops to persevere.
—
Michael Bloom, CNBC, 9 May 2026
The headwinds have come from a convergence of current events and the yacht’s own history.
—Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Then the engineers activated a fan inside the chamber that pelted the rotors with headwinds.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
But a slower pace of discovery is not the only scientific headwind.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for headwind
Michael Bloom, CNBC, 9 May 2026
The headwinds have come from a convergence of current events and the yacht’s own history.
—Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Then the engineers activated a fan inside the chamber that pelted the rotors with headwinds.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
But a slower pace of discovery is not the only scientific headwind.
—O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for headwind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwind
wind
Noun
-
The strongest winds are expected Saturday night through Sunday.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
An inspector can assess overall roof condition, age and visible storm damage, but a roofing specialist may be needed for a detailed hail or wind damage assessment.—
Ryan Brennan
May 15,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwind. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
