tailspin

noun

tail·​spin ˈtāl-ˌspin 

1

: spin sense 2a

2

: a mental or emotional letdown or collapse

3

: a sustained and usually severe decline or downturn

stock prices in a tailspin

Synonyms

• breakdown
• crack-up
• nervous breakdown

Examples of tailspin in a Sentence

Stock prices are in a tailspin.

The team went into a tailspin and lost six straight games.

Recent Examples on the Web

The move sent stock markets in the U.S. and abroad into a tailspin, fueled recession fears and prompted some of Trump’s allies in the business community to speak out against the policy. —Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025

Trump's policies have rocked the dollar and the treasury yield, as well as sending the markets into a tailspin. —Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025

Arminia had had five different coaches in 14 months and the drain of playing talent had left them in a tailspin. —Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 22 May 2025

The 30-plus other AGOA nations, many laden with heavy foreign debt, are in a similar tailspin, though some more than others. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 8 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tailspin

• akin
• auxin
• buckskin
• chagrin
• deerskin
• foreskin
• fuchsin
• herein
• kingpin
• linchpin
• pigskin
• pinyin

Kids Definition

tailspin

noun

tail·​spin ˈtā(ə)l-ˌspin 

: spin entry 2 sense 3