tailspin

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A tailspin is when an aircraft suddenly drops sharply downwards and spins out of control. It's also used figuratively to describe a situation that's going very badly.

When something or someone gets into a tailspin, it means they're moving rapidly downward and losing control. For example, if your favorite sports team loses its last few games and starts making silly mistakes, you could say their season is in a tailspin. This usually implies a loss of momentum, poor decision-making, or just plain bad luck that's getting worse by the minute.

How common is "tailspin"?

Word tailspin is considered rare in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

noun

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

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verb

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

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Real examples of "tailspin" in context

Aaron Paul Gets Broken Bad While Eating Spicy Wings | Hot Ones

Interview

that put you into a mental tailspin, does anything immediately come to mind?

8:25