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 goal was for the GOP to hold on to a narrow House majority in the face of political headwinds that typically favor the party out of power in midterms.
—
Olivia Diaz, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
At the time, Chapter 11 documents filed on behalf of McGrath stated that despite the strength of the brand, Pat McGrath Labs faced growing financial headwinds in early 2025 including liquidity constraints.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026
Third, that comparison to peers ignores the fact that Isom has had to navigate unique idiosyncratic headwinds that no CEO could have prevented and which none of American’s competitors had to deal with.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
But a series of headwinds, including a recent blunder over see-through leggings, is threatening the company's path forward.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headwind
Olivia Diaz, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026
At the time, Chapter 11 documents filed on behalf of McGrath stated that despite the strength of the brand, Pat McGrath Labs faced growing financial headwinds in early 2025 including liquidity constraints.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026
Third, that comparison to peers ignores the fact that Isom has had to navigate unique idiosyncratic headwinds that no CEO could have prevented and which none of American’s competitors had to deal with.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2026
But a series of headwinds, including a recent blunder over see-through leggings, is threatening the company's path forward.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for headwind
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwind
wind
Noun
-
Meteorological explanation Thursday’s unusually warm temperatures across Central and South Texas developed as winds shifted out of the south and southwest, ahead of an approaching cold front and a dry line between dry and humid air masses.—
Newsroom Meteorologist,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Nationwide demonstrations erupted in response, followed by a change in Operation Metro Surge’s leadership and the eventual wind-down of the immigration enforcement operation in mid-February.—
Sarah Raza,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwind.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwind. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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