tailgate
1 Americannoun
verb (used without object)
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tailgates,
present (3rd person singular)
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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
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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
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have tailgatedperfect
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has tailgatedperfect
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am tailgatingprogressive
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are tailgatingprogressive
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is tailgatingprogressive
-
have been tailgatingperfect progressive
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has been tailgatingperfect progressive
Past
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tailgatedsimple
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had tailgatedperfect
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was tailgatingprogressive
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were tailgatingprogressive
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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:
With prices for other types of beef at record highs, Wagyu has a better value proposition—and with grilling at its late-summer peak and tailgate season ahead, there are many opportunities to try it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 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
The new rules stipulate that all doors except the tailgate "shall be equipped with a mechanical release exterior door handle".
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
The nostalgia hit Ross Niederhaus in the grocery store as he stocked up for what might be his last Rose Bowl tailgate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 22, 2025
There was no hurry to get to Logan, he thought, no need to tailgate, and the weather was bad.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
I’m thankful for the tailgates, the touchdowns and all the pageantry that comes with it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025
The campaign includes Parmigiano-branded tailgates, in-stadium media tastings, social media collaborations and a presence across the Jets’ platforms and at MetLife Stadium.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2025
Several of his rivals also attended the game, mingling with fans at pregame tailgates outside the stadium.
From Washington Times ● Sep. 10, 2023
Pickups with “multi-function tailgates,” the Ram 1500 Classic, and trucks with sensors that alert drivers to unsecured tailgates are not affected by the recall, the company says.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2022
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
Feniger admits, “The only time I ever tailgated was when I was on ‘Top Chef Masters,’ and guess what?
From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2025
They live in Kansas, but said it was nice to take their mind of politics for a few hours as they tailgated with their daughter Rachel and her husband before the game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2024
There are no door staff here, and I tailgated some residents through a starkly decorated lobby.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 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
Kansas City has a legendary tailgating culture which is regarded as one of the best in the country and includes some of the country's best barbecue.
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
People proffered sensible answers like "I was in a hurry" or "I wasn't paying attention to the speed limit" or "someone was tailgating me".
From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2025
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
The Chevy, as he put it later, was “half near tailgating the semi.”
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
