tailgate
1 Americannoun
verb (used without object)
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tailgates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tailgated,
past participle, past
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tailgating
present participle
verb (used with object)
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tailgates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tailgated,
past participle, past
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tailgating
present participle
adjective
noun
noun
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another name for tailboard
-
a door at the rear of a hatchback vehicle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
tailgatesimple
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tailgatessimple
-
have tailgatedperfect
-
has tailgatedperfect
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am tailgatingprogressive
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are tailgatingprogressive
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is tailgatingprogressive
-
have been tailgatingperfect progressive
-
has been tailgatingperfect progressive
Past
-
tailgatedsimple
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had tailgatedperfect
-
was tailgatingprogressive
-
were tailgatingprogressive
-
had been tailgatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tailgate1
An Americanism dating back to 1850–55; tail 1 + gate 1
Origin of tailgate2
First recorded in 1945–50; so called from the usual seat of trombonists in trucks carrying musicians during a parade
Explanation
A tailgate is the hinged opening at the back of a pickup truck. And as a verb, to tailgate is to drive too close to another vehicle. It's dangerous to tailgate, because you might crash into the car in front of you if it stops suddenly. This verb gets its name from a vehicle's tailgate. If you're too close to the tailgate of the truck in front of you, you're tailgaiting. Another informal use of tailgate is "party in the back of a truck," especially in the parking lot of a sports arena: "Let's tailgate before the big game tomorrow!"
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.
See Examples For:
On the opposite half, two finned and muscular airspeeders from “Attack of the Clones” tailgate each other.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Some fans will get there early to take part in traditional American tailgate parties in the stadium carparks.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
As a busy user of the cargo hold, I fell in love with the power-folding rear seats and hands-free tailgate function.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
If you really want to level up your potluck game, take a cue from tailgate culture: a small portable crockpot is a marvel.
From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2026
It was morning in the desert, and Julia had already gotten out of bed and was boiling coffee on a propane stove wed set up on the tailgate of Cade’s pickup.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
That’s what builds the community here, the tailgates, the pride.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Both brothers were hoping for more tailgates to come outside the century-old stadium.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2025
Here’s to another football season full of cheers, surprises, and — most importantly — unforgettable tailgates.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2025
Years from now at tailgates and over drinks at local Husky bars, fans will reminisce about the crucial moment that Elijah Jackson came through when the Huskies needed it most.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2024
So they leaned back against car fenders and fence posts, or sat on pickup tailgates, as if they were at a rodeo.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Learner driver Teddy is recounting her fear at being tailgated by another driver mid-lesson.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2025
Feniger admits, “The only time I ever tailgated was when I was on ‘Top Chef Masters,’ and guess what?
From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2025
But if there’s one thing drivers find universally aggravating, it’s being tailgated.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 29, 2024
“Great politics, great place to campaign,” said Gov. Brian Kemp, a UGA alumnus, as he tailgated with supporters in Athens ahead of a Georgia game earlier this season.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 4, 2022
A great musician, very bright, but not a good driver, Linton believed that she sometimes tailgated, and sometimes sped.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
American fans know the London games don't provide the same tailgating experience they get back home, but they - and the players - are still fascinated by the eclectic crowd at international games.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
This is one of the few grounds at the World Cup that allows tailgating - where fans meet in parking lots outside stadiums to cook, eat and drink before the game.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
At the stadium itself, parking is expected to be significantly reduced or repurposed, with traditional tailgating effectively eliminated.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026
Another one happened after a Detroit Lions football game, at a September 2024 tailgating event at Eastern Market, a historic Detroit public market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 7, 2025
We even went tailgating at FedEx stadium and Ma barbecued ribs on Uncle Robby’s truck bed.
From "Monday's Not Coming" by Tiffany D. Jackson
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.
