HEADWINDS Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

headwinds

noun

plural of headwind

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 That march, an inflection point in the Civil Rights Movement, also came at a fraught moment for the country, when economic headwinds, civil unrest, political division and the war in Vietnam bitterly divided Americans. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 That march, an inflection point in the Civil Rights Movement, came at a fraught moment for the country, when economic headwinds, civil unrest, political division and the Vietnam War bitterly divided Americans. — Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 The expansion comes as pro-Trump media faces headwinds and the broader industry runs into changing viewer habits. — Josh Feldman, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026 On Thursday a tropical disturbance managed to overcome headwinds to become a tropical storm. — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 27 Aug. 2026 Macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds have also weighed on shares. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 Those headwinds are prompting consolidation or closure for some of Orange County’s roughly 9,000 active nonprofits. — Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 27 Aug. 2026 Grassroots fundraisers face competing headwinds, according to For Good interim president Tamara Mahal. — James Pollard, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026 Ornelas and some of her colleagues have recently created the Health and Power Organizing Project, a coalition of academics and advocates to provide a counterweight to political headwinds. — Anil Oza, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for headwinds

winds

Noun

The main concern will be frequent lightning and gusty winds with any storm that pops up.

— Lauren Bostwick, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
The tornado is being classified as an EF0 (winds of 65 mph to 85 mph).

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of winds

Browse Nearby Words

headwind

headwinds

heady

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Headwinds.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headwinds. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of headwinds

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes