Meaning & use
tailgated
Last updated
Drove too closely behind another vehicle, or attended an informal outdoor party held from the back of a vehicle, typically before a sporting event.
See it in a sentence
He tailgated the car in front of him despite the icy road.
We tailgated in the stadium parking lot before the game started.
A note on using this word
The driving sense and the party sense both derive from the vehicle's tailgate, but developed as distinct uses in American English.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
Gathered for a picnic or party served from the back of a vehicle in a parking lot, especially before a sporting event.
Fans tailgated for hours before kickoff.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tailgated”, then compare your use with the examples above.