tailspin

noun

tail·​spin ˈtāl-ˌspin How to pronounce tailspin (audio)
1
2
: a mental or emotional letdown or collapse
3
: a sustained and usually severe decline or downturn
stock prices in a tailspin

Examples of tailspin in a Sentence

Stock prices are in a tailspin. The team went into a tailspin and lost six straight games.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Not so lucky was Roy Wilson, a veteran of over 65 aerial sequences, who was killed during the filming of Columbia’s War Correspondent (1932) when his plane went into a tailspin at 2,000 feet and cracked up on the ground. Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 14 June 2025 If that much oil supply was disrupted, prices would easily soar above $100 a barrel and the global economy would go into a tailspin. Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025 Later, he’s sent into a tailspin after accidentally shooting a young boy, which complicates his undercover work within a sinister self-help cult. Bob Verini, Variety, 4 June 2025 Fears of a global government borrowing glut — likely to be compounded by the GOP's spending and tax-cuts bill — helped fuel an unusually weak auction for U.S. government bonds that sent markets into a tailspin Wednesday. Rob Wile, NBC news, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for tailspin

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tailspin was in 1917

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Cite this Entry

“Tailspin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailspin. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

tailspin

noun
tail·​spin ˈtā(ə)l-ˌspin How to pronounce tailspin (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on tailspin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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