before the wind

Idioms  

1. Driven ahead, hurried, as in The bikers are moving before the wind, so it's hard to tell who will come in first. The literal meaning of this term is nautical, referring to a ship sailing in the same direction as the wind and being propelled forward. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

before the wind

On a good day, even a distance runner’s legs wobble and fail long before the wind does.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2023

He followed with a 64 on Friday before the wind arrived, and he handled the wind beautifully Saturday with another 64 that left him five shots behind.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 9, 2021

McNeil, wearing shades and still reorienting himself to the position after playing second and third last season, backpedaled before the wind blew the ball over his right shoulder.

From New York Times ● Apr. 14, 2019

In the moment before the wind shifts, there is time to appreciate that only the one house down the road is on fire.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 21, 2018

I had seen the tire tracks leading to the road before the wind came and scattered the last trace of Vonetta.

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia