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
The film, set in 1920s Montana, unwraps the lives of the Burbank brothers, Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons), after George marries lonely widow Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst), setting surly Phil into a tailspin of cruelty that envelops the family.
—
Sezin Devi Keohler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
The hemp industry went into a tailspin when Congress approved a provision sandwiched in a November funding bill to end the government shutdown.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 3 Mar. 2026
In this Alexander Payne–esque comedy series, one negative review sends Broadway star Richard Bean (Kevin Kline) into a tailspin.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
The last game Carlsson played was a loss in Buffalo that was the Ducks’ ninth straight, a tailspin that exceeded anything the Ducks had seen in two years under Coach Joel Quenneville’s predecessor, Greg Cronin, with decidedly more lackluster rosters.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tailspin
Sezin Devi Keohler, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Mar. 2026
The hemp industry went into a tailspin when Congress approved a provision sandwiched in a November funding bill to end the government shutdown.
—Gina Lee Castro, jsonline.com, 3 Mar. 2026
In this Alexander Payne–esque comedy series, one negative review sends Broadway star Richard Bean (Kevin Kline) into a tailspin.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
The last game Carlsson played was a loss in Buffalo that was the Ducks’ ninth straight, a tailspin that exceeded anything the Ducks had seen in two years under Coach Joel Quenneville’s predecessor, Greg Cronin, with decidedly more lackluster rosters.
—Andrew Knoll, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tailspin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tailspin
breakdown
Noun
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Although extremely rare, a condition called rhabdomyolysis can occur when your kidneys are overwhelmed with particles from muscle breakdown and can cause permanent kidney damage.—
Brad Stulberg,
Outside,
26 Mar. 2026
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As rising global temperatures threaten the polar ice floes, loud and previously-unknown sounds from the breakdown of ice are becoming more frequent, impacting polar ecosystems.—
Andrew Coletti,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tailspin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailspin. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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