What does "tailspin" mean?

The rapid, uncontrollable descent of an aircraft in a steep spiral.

What is a synonym for "tailspin"?

Common synonyms include: breakdown, collapse, comedown, crash, cropper, deflation.

noun, verb

noun, verb ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The rapid, uncontrollable descent of an aircraft in a steep spiral.
"The loss of the third engine threw the plane into a tailspin."
2
rapid descent of an aircraft in a steep spiral wordnet
3
A severe mental or emotional collapse; emotional breakdown. figuratively
"Just hours after leaving the institution, she suffered another tailspin."
4
loss of emotional control often resulting in emotional collapse wordnet
5
Any sharp, sustained, often uncontrollable descent or decline. figuratively
"The present stock tailspin proves bankruptcy is imminent."

Verb

1
Of an aircraft: to go into a rapid, uncontrollable descent in a steep spiral.
2
To go into a sharp, sustained, often uncontrollable descent or decline. figuratively

"The shenanigans on Wall Street have sent the economy into a tailspin."

From tail + spin.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.