tailgating

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   The act of driving too closely behind another vehicle.

   Grammar: Uncountable; used as a noun. The verb form is 'tailgate'.

   Patterns

   • tailgating is dangerous
   • accused of tailgating
   • a tailgating driver

   Tailgating is a major cause of accidents on highways.

   He was fined for tailgating on the freeway.

   I hate it when someone starts tailgating me.

2. 2noununcountableAmerican

   The activity of having a party in a parking lot before a sports game, typically with food and drinks.

   Grammar: Uncountable; often used in American English. The verb is 'tailgate'.

   Patterns

   • tailgating before the game
   • go tailgating
   • tailgating party

   We spent the morning tailgating before the football game.

   Tailgating is a popular tradition at American college football games.

   They set up a tent and grilled burgers for tailgating.

Common combinations

tailgating party

The tailgating party started three hours before kickoff.

tailgating driver

A tailgating driver behind me made me nervous.

go tailgating

We're going tailgating at the stadium this Saturday.

tailgating accident

The tailgating accident caused a long delay on the highway.

Synonyms and how they differ

following too closely

A more formal phrase used in traffic laws; it describes the same dangerous driving behavior.

pre-game party

A general term for the social event; 'tailgating' specifically refers to the parking lot tradition.

Word family

tailgate verb

To drive too closely behind another vehicle, or to have a party in a parking lot before a game.

tailgate noun

The door at the back of a truck or car that opens downward.

tailgater noun

A person who tailgates, either while driving or at a sports event.

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “tailgating”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words