Meaning & use
tailwind
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A wind blowing in the same direction that a vehicle, aircraft, runner or cyclist is traveling, helping it go faster.
Grammar: Plural is tailwinds: strong tailwinds shortened the flight.
Patterns
- a tailwind of something
A strong tailwind shortened the flight by half an hour.
The cyclists enjoyed a tailwind on the way home.
The runner set a record with help from a light tailwind.
nouncountablefigurativebusiness
A favorable condition or trend that helps a business, plan or economy to grow or succeed.
Grammar: Often figurative and plural: tailwinds boosted sales.
Patterns
- a tailwind for something
Low interest rates were a tailwind for the housing market.
The company enjoyed a tailwind from rising demand.
New rules created a tailwind for green energy.
Word forms
| plural | tailwinds |
|---|
Common combinations
- strong tailwind
- The plane had a strong tailwind over the ocean.
- benefit from a tailwind
- Retailers benefited from a tailwind during the holiday season.
- economic tailwind
- Falling prices gave an economic tailwind to families.
- tailwind for growth
- Technology provided a tailwind for growth.
- ride a tailwind
- The firm rode a tailwind to record profits.
Synonyms and how they differ
- boost
- A boost is any helpful push, while a tailwind is an ongoing favorable condition.
- advantage
- Advantage is general, whereas tailwind suggests outside conditions rather than the company's own skill.
- favorable trend
- Favorable trend is plainer and does not carry the wind image.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: tailwind or headwind?
tailwind vs headwind
A headwind blows against you and slows you down, while a tailwind blows from behind and helps.
Practice
A strong ____ helped the airplane arrive early.
Choose one answer.
A tailwind pushes from behind and speeds travel. A headwind would slow the plane, so it is the tempting opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tailwind”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.