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 tailspin began on a Thursday night, with a Lions-Cowboys game.
—
Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 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
Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 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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Clicking into the title will give you even more information, including a blurb about what parents need to know, a breakdown of potential concerns and positive qualities about the book, and reviews from kids.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Microplastics are tiny and sometimes invisible shreds of plastic that can be produced by the breakdown of plastic, the shedding of clothing fibers, manufacturing processes, and more.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tailspin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailspin. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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