as in breakdown
a mental or nervous collapse
the pressures of his job nearly caused him to go into a tailspin
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Recent Examples of tailspin
Many golfers would have gone into a tailspin after such a nightmare, not Tiger Woods.
—
Don Riddell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
But then, the season went into a tailspin.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
However, Tucker's production went into a tailspin.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
In the midst of the Giants’ tailspin, the team called on their top pitching prospect to make his debut.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tailspin
Don Riddell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
But then, the season went into a tailspin.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025
However, Tucker's production went into a tailspin.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Aug. 2025
In the midst of the Giants’ tailspin, the team called on their top pitching prospect to make his debut.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tailspin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tailspin
breakdown
Noun
-
The final stage of the breakdown does, ultimately, involve Hermit and Slightly — and also, tragically, Arthur Sylvia.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
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Mid-century collective behavior theories considered social movements to be nonrational, spontaneous events occurring during moments of social and cultural breakdown.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tailspin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailspin. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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