as in winds
an air movement that is blowing toward something (such as a ship or an airplane) as it moves forward
Stiff headwinds caused the flight to take longer than expected.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of headwinds
Amid economic headwinds and the fragmenting of audiences with the ongoing evolution of the internet, there have also been recently been concerns regarding censorship within the traditional late-night context, with Jimmy Kimmel Live!
—
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
Ramaswamy faces growing headwinds within a GOP base disgruntled over the rising cost of living, the disjointed release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, the burgeoning demands of data centers and the war with Iran.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
These headwinds, together with Spirit’s ongoing reputational challenges like being the target of jokes by late-night hosts and prominent press coverage of its two brushes with bankruptcy, likely account for Spirit’s satisfaction decline.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
The statement comes as much of the corporate world is rolling back climate commitments, in the face of political headwinds and rising energy prices.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Sales, held back by supply chain headwinds for mechanical products in January and February, increased organically by 3%.
—CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
The party already faced historical challenges as the majority party going into the midterm elections, on top of economic headwinds that have become even stronger as the Iran war wreaks havoc on the global economy.
—Julia Manchester, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2026
Despite persistent economic headwinds and ongoing global conflicts affecting trade and transportation, the mood among exhibitors and attendees at Kingpins Amsterdam last week was notably more optimistic than at the previous two editions.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026
However, the steady climb to roughly 9,800 feet combined with strong desert headwinds significantly increased consumption.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2026
Ramaswamy faces growing headwinds within a GOP base disgruntled over the rising cost of living, the disjointed release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, the burgeoning demands of data centers and the war with Iran.
—ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
These headwinds, together with Spirit’s ongoing reputational challenges like being the target of jokes by late-night hosts and prominent press coverage of its two brushes with bankruptcy, likely account for Spirit’s satisfaction decline.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
The statement comes as much of the corporate world is rolling back climate commitments, in the face of political headwinds and rising energy prices.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Sales, held back by supply chain headwinds for mechanical products in January and February, increased organically by 3%.
—CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
The party already faced historical challenges as the majority party going into the midterm elections, on top of economic headwinds that have become even stronger as the Iran war wreaks havoc on the global economy.
—Julia Manchester, The Hill, 23 Apr. 2026
Despite persistent economic headwinds and ongoing global conflicts affecting trade and transportation, the mood among exhibitors and attendees at Kingpins Amsterdam last week was notably more optimistic than at the previous two editions.
—Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 21 Apr. 2026
However, the steady climb to roughly 9,800 feet combined with strong desert headwinds significantly increased consumption.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwinds
winds
Noun
-
The risk level for tornadoes is low and the risk for hail and strong winds is medium, forecasters said.—
Remington Miller,
Arkansas Online,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Monday’s weather features plenty of sun, light winds and some heat.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Headwinds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwinds. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
