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

In Maine, for instance, the largest system in the northern part of the state is already facing significant financial headwinds, which makes the prospect of adding a new facility with its own financial problems less than appealing. — Daniel Payne, STAT, 8 Sep. 2026

Air traffic controllers also had not changed the approach to the runway to allow the plane to land into a headwind. — David Fischer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Republicans, who won control of Congress and the White House in the 2024 elections, face a series of headwinds this time around. — Dan Snyder, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Like all of hip-hop’s early heroes, Flash is fixated on the genre’s history—righting its wrongs, fighting a headwind of faulty tellings over the years. — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026