downwind

adverb or adjective

down·​wind ˈdau̇n-ˈwind How to pronounce downwind (audio)
: in the direction that the wind is blowing

Examples of downwind in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Areas downwind of the Great Lakes had some of the greatest snowfall deficits due to a lack of lake-effect snow. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Snowfall deficits are extreme downwind of the Great Lakes where Syracuse, New York, and Erie, Pennsylvania, are each missing nearly 5 feet of snow. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 23 Feb. 2024 Heavy lake-effect snow is expected downwind of the Great Lakes through the middle of the week, and is expected to bring with it whiteout conditions, according to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. NBC News, 15 Jan. 2024 Hunters will typically first position the blind or layout boat and then set the spread slightly downwind, leaving runways that serve both as boat travel routes and bird funnels. M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 8 Feb. 2024 That’s a rate of only 5.5 percent, with many of the encounters occurring downwind. Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 31 Jan. 2024 That's because a lot of particulates come from sources other than fossil fuels (as anyone who was recently downwind of Canada was reminded). Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 21 June 2023 Lake-effect snow downwind of the Great Lakes and upslope snow over parts of the northern and the central Appalachians are also in the forecast Monday through Wednesday, the weather service said. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 19 Dec. 2023 Stay downwind and out of sight of the target parcel. Outdoor Life, 18 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'downwind.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of downwind was in 1826

Dictionary Entries Near downwind

Cite this Entry

“Downwind.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/downwind. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

downwind

adverb or adjective
down·​wind ˈdau̇n-ˈwind How to pronounce downwind (audio)
: in the direction that the wind is blowing

More from Merriam-Webster on downwind

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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