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

On July 10, the day before the wind changed, the fire had been burning sleepily for a week without any apparent cause for alarm.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2025

The weather and the views were ideal Thursday, though Ewing finished before the wind began whipping and a marine layer covered the sun and reduced temperatures by about 10 degrees.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 2, 2023

It was hours before the wind relented, allowing her to finally open her door.

From New York Times • Sep. 3, 2021

“It’s like I used to be on solid ground,” he says before the wind blows him away.

From Washington Post • Feb. 7, 2021

The window creaked as I eased it up, and the smell of horses and other farm odors hit me, right before the wind issued a warning.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia