coattail Definition
- 1the tapering part of a garment that is attached at the back of the waist and hangs down behind the knees
- 2an act of benefiting from association with someone more successful
Using coattail: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "coattail" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The coattail of his jacket brushed against her leg.
Example
The new senator was elected on the coattails of the popular governor.
Example
She rode on the coattails of her sister's success to get ahead in the industry.
coattail Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for coattail
Antonyms for coattail
Phrases with coattail
on someone's coattails
benefiting from someone else's success or popularity
Example
He got the job on the coattails of his father's reputation.
ride someone's coattails
to benefit from someone else's success or hard work without contributing much oneself
Example
She's always riding her husband's coattails to get ahead in her career.
the phenomenon of a lesser-known candidate winning an election because they are on the same ticket as a popular candidate
Example
The coattail effect helped many of the lesser-known candidates win seats in the election.
Origins of coattail
from coat + tail, referring to the long back of a coat
Summary: coattail in Brief
The term 'coattail' [ˈkəʊteɪl] refers to the tapering part of a garment that hangs down behind the knees, or an act of benefiting from association with someone more successful. Examples include 'The coattail of his jacket brushed against her leg.' and 'She rode on the coattails of her sister's success to get ahead in the industry.' Phrases like 'on someone's coattails' and 'ride someone's coattails' denote benefiting from someone else's success or popularity.
