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
Teacher Elsa Vargas and her husband, Ham, were excited about their first pregnancy, but their daughter lived only a short time and Elsa went into a mental tailspin that alarmed her family.
—
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 30 Nov. 2025
The tragedy sends the fragile James into a tailspin.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
The Vikes are in a tailspin after last week's blowout loss to the Chargers.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The torrent of billion-dollar investment announcements related to artificial intelligence has raised fears that the economy is sitting on a bubble that, if popped, could send it into a tailspin.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tailspin
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 30 Nov. 2025
The tragedy sends the fragile James into a tailspin.
—Kayti Burt, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
The Vikes are in a tailspin after last week's blowout loss to the Chargers.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The torrent of billion-dollar investment announcements related to artificial intelligence has raised fears that the economy is sitting on a bubble that, if popped, could send it into a tailspin.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tailspin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tailspin
breakdown
Noun
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Below is a breakdown of the most common standard window types, including where each style works best and the pros and cons to consider.—
Roxanne Downer,
USA Today,
22 Jan. 2026
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Here's a breakdown of the three intriguing matches confirmed for the Bell Centre.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tailspin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailspin. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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