tail end
Americannoun
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the hinder or rear part of anything.
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the concluding or final part or section; tag end.
the tail end of a lecture.
noun
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The rear or hindmost part, as in Douglas was at the tail end of the academic procession . [Mid-1700s]
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The very end, the conclusion, as in Only at the tail end of his speech did he thank his sponsors . [Mid-1800s]
Etymology
Origin of tail end
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s worth noting she first gained recognition in Hollywood near the tail end of the 2010s, a decade defined by confessional, antiheroic millennial dramedy in the comically self-aware vein of “Girls,” “Insecure” and “Broad City.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
But the differential has been positive since the very tail end of 2020, and has spiked significantly since mid-February.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Importantly, this new rally comes at the tail end of one of the most notable S&P 500/gold ratio declines, “suggesting markets are not complacent at all about geopolitical risks/concerns,” he says.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026
"Unfortunately, natural processes are often accelerated by meteorological phenomena, such as the tail end of storm Oriana", he said.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
He was on the tail end of his own mission and would be showing Reggie the ropes.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.