tailspin
[ teyl-spin ]
/ ˈteɪlˌspɪn /
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noun Also tail spin .
a sudden and helpless collapse into failure, confusion, or the like.
verb (used without object), tail·spinned, tail·spin·ning.
to take or experience a sudden and dramatic downturn: After the mill closes, the local economy may tailspin.
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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use tailspin in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for tailspin
tailspin
/ (ˈteɪlˌspɪn) /
noun
aeronautics another name for spin (def. 16)
informal a state of confusion or panic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with tailspin
tailspin
see go into a tailspin.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.