Synonyms of headwind

headwind

noun

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

• wind
• air
• gale
• blow
• breath
• breeze
• westerly
• southeaster
• northeaster
• norther
• puff
• flurry
• current
• blast
• zephyr
• whiff
• northwester
• southwester
• waft
• sea breeze
• windstorm
• draft
• tornado
• squall
• tempest
• airflow

Dissimilar Words

• tailwind
• calm

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of headwind

But Marshall’s campaign faced headwinds in the race’s final weeks, including concerns about his medical debt practices as a physician and longstanding questions about his residency. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026

Democrats had long been the favorites to retake the House given the political headwinds that typically face the party in power and only needed a few seats due to the narrow Republican majority in the first place. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

Despite a map that had initially looked favorable to Republicans, steep headwinds emerged for the party as competitive races cropped up in reliably red states like Iowa in recent months, throwing the GOP's hold on the upper chamber into question. — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

But some political insiders previously told the Observer her district’s demographics combined with statewide and national headwinds for Republicans could spell trouble in her race against McCool. — Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 4 Nov. 2026