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
The statement comes as much of the corporate world is rolling back climate commitments, in the face of political headwinds and rising energy prices.
—
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Sales, held back by supply chain headwinds for mechanical products in January and February, increased organically by 3%.
—CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Despite persistent economic headwinds and ongoing global conflicts affecting trade and transportation, the mood among exhibitors and attendees at Kingpins Amsterdam last week was notably more optimistic than at the previous two editions.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026
However, the steady climb to roughly 9,800 feet combined with strong desert headwinds significantly increased consumption.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headwind
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Sales, held back by supply chain headwinds for mechanical products in January and February, increased organically by 3%.
—CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Despite persistent economic headwinds and ongoing global conflicts affecting trade and transportation, the mood among exhibitors and attendees at Kingpins Amsterdam last week was notably more optimistic than at the previous two editions.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026
However, the steady climb to roughly 9,800 feet combined with strong desert headwinds significantly increased consumption.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headwind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwind
wind
Noun
-
The fire moved north from Oceanside Boulevard toward the El Corazon Senior Center, with wind and terrain helping fuel its spread.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
An icy wind blew through the buckled windows.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwind. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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