tailspin

American  

[teyl-spin] / ˈteɪlˌspɪn /

noun

1. spin.

2. a sudden and helpless collapse into failure, confusion, or the like.

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verb (used without object)

tailspinned, tailspinning

1. to take or experience a sudden and dramatic downturn.

   After the mill closes, the local economy may tailspin.

tailspin British  

/ ˈteɪlˌspɪn /

noun

1. aeronautics another name for spin

2. informal a state of confusion or panic

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tailspin Idioms  

1. see go into a tailspin.

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Etymology

Origin of tailspin

First recorded in 1910–15; tail ¹ + spin

Explanation

When a plane goes into a tailspin, it rotates as it dives toward the ground. While pilots sometimes go into a deliberate tailspin, an unexpected tailspin would be terrifying. Because of the dramatic nature of an aircraft's tailspin, the word is also used figuratively to mean "a chaotic or panicked situation or state." Getting terrible news sends some people into a tailspin, while others are able to somehow stay calm. The word dates from about 1915, and the figurative meaning first appeared in print in the 1930s.

Example Sentences

The defense sector’s tailspin comes against the backdrop of gains heading into the conflict.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

That gummed up credit markets, tanked the value of money-market funds, and sent global stock markets into a tailspin.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

It was in November that a disturbance first knocked cold air southward and “sent weather patterns into a tailspin this season,” meteorologist Ben Noll wrote to me in an email.

From Slate • Feb. 25, 2026

This seemed unlikely on April’s “Liberation Day,” when new tariffs sent markets into a tailspin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

Which of course throws me into a mental tailspin.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• plunge
• slide