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go into a tailspin |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.01 sec. |
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go into a tailspin 1. Lit. [for an airplane] to lose control and spin to the earth, nose first. The plane shook and then suddenly went into a tailspin. The pilot was not able to bring the plane out of the tailspin, and it crashed into the sea. 2. . Fig. [for someone] to become disoriented or panicked; [for someone's life] to fall apart. Although John achieved great success, his life went into a tailspin. It took him a year to get straightened out. After her father died, Mary's world fell apart, and she went into a tailspin. go into a tailspin to quickly become worse The country's nickel industry went into a tailspin, with production falling for five years in a row. His career went into a tailspin when he joined the New York Mets. Usage notes: sometimes used to describe someone's mental condition: I imagine the news sent Barry into a tailspin. Etymology: based on the literal meaning of tailspin (a sudden fall by an aircraft in which the back points up and the aircraft turns around and around) How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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