1
: the rear flap of a man's coat
2
coattails plural
: the skirts of a dress coat, cutaway, or frock coat
3
coattails plural
: the influence or pulling power of a popular movement or person (such as a political candidate)
congressmen riding into office on the president's coattails
Examples of coattail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump, like Nixon in ’72, might not have sizeable coattails.
—
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 25 May 2024
There is little hard evidence that reverse coattails are a real thing.
—Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 23 May 2024
He was most accomplished at not making waves; riding the coattails of his predecessor, who left him a sound fiscal foundation on which to run the state; and benefitting from the federal funding largesse doled out to address the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2024
His political support group consists mainly of sycophants who seek status by riding his popular coattails, while the erstwhile staff of his late presidential office have either now become subjects for criminal prosecution or — if not blameworthy — are adamantly urging against his return.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024
Reading the book frequently feels like visiting a new city on the coattails of a local, learning its tastes and smells and rhythms from an expert.
—Marian Bull, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024
The biggest question of all is whether the United States can ride the coattails of history moving through Ukraine and achieve a stable balance of power in Europe and beyond.
—Nick Bowlin, Harper's Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
There’s also an argument that the rest of the Mountain West rode those coattails to a record number of NCAA Tournament bids.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2024
Where Robinson is a firebrand known for making controversial remarks, Stein is a career politician attempting to ride Cooper's popularity coattails.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024
Matthew Continetti, National Review, 25 May 2024
There is little hard evidence that reverse coattails are a real thing.
—Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 23 May 2024
He was most accomplished at not making waves; riding the coattails of his predecessor, who left him a sound fiscal foundation on which to run the state; and benefitting from the federal funding largesse doled out to address the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 20 Feb. 2024
His political support group consists mainly of sycophants who seek status by riding his popular coattails, while the erstwhile staff of his late presidential office have either now become subjects for criminal prosecution or — if not blameworthy — are adamantly urging against his return.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 3 May 2024
Reading the book frequently feels like visiting a new city on the coattails of a local, learning its tastes and smells and rhythms from an expert.
—Marian Bull, The Atlantic, 19 Apr. 2024
The biggest question of all is whether the United States can ride the coattails of history moving through Ukraine and achieve a stable balance of power in Europe and beyond.
—Nick Bowlin, Harper's Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
There’s also an argument that the rest of the Mountain West rode those coattails to a record number of NCAA Tournament bids.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2024
Where Robinson is a firebrand known for making controversial remarks, Stein is a career politician attempting to ride Cooper's popularity coattails.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'coattail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Coattail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coattail. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
coattail
noun
coat·tail
ˈkōt-ˌtāl 
1
: the rear flap of a man's coat
2
plural
: the influence of a popular movement or person
politicians riding into office on the president's coattails
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