How to Use fishtail in a Sentence

fishtail

verb
  • The car fishtailed on the icy curve.
  • The back tires grab and throw the bike forward while fishtailing.
    — David Curcurito, Popular Mechanics, 2 May 2017
  • The third car fishtailed and got stuck in a yard on Bay Ridge Avenue.
    — Jeff Rumage, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 25 June 2018
  • With a Hat Part your hair into two sections, and then fishtail each side.
    — Brooke Shunatona, Cosmopolitan, 10 Apr. 2015
  • Most runs, the rear end would fishtail, sometimes turning me completely around.
    — Alexander George, Popular Mechanics, 9 Dec. 2019
  • The white lace, off-the-shoulder design featured long sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, corset bodice and fishtail train.
    — Brittany Talarico, PEOPLE.com, 18 July 2022
  • He was also seen spinning tires and fishtailing into an oncoming lane of travel.
    — Carol Robinson | [email protected], al, 23 Jan. 2020
  • The car started to fishtail before sliding out of control off the runway and into a grassy area from which spectators were watching.
    — NBC News, 28 Oct. 2021
  • Video from the scene before the lane closures showed drivers struggling to maintain control of their vehicles, causing some to fishtail.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022
  • The truck fishtailed, entering the west traffic lane and causing a Dodge Ram pickup truck to swerve to avoid a head-on collision.
    — Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 5 Dec. 2019
  • The vehicle then fishtails, kicking up a plume of snow as the SUV's rear wheels come within inches of the tow truck driver.
    — Fox News, 30 Dec. 2019
  • After striking the rear of Myles' car, the SUV fishtailed before running off the road and striking a tree, authorities said.
    — Clifford Ward, chicagotribune.com, 19 May 2017
  • Suddenly, the car fishtailed on the wet street, hit a tree and ricocheted into a telephone pole, crushing the vehicle and knocking Boesen unconscious.
    — Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, 11 Sep. 2017
  • Then the speeding tractor-trailer started to fishtail uncontrollably, said the teenager, Esvin Chipel Tzoy.
    — New York Times, 10 Dec. 2021
  • Federal prosecutors said Parias used a Toyota Camry to strike law enforcement vehicles in front of and behind him, spinning his tires and fishtailing in an attempt to escape, prompting concerns for officer safety.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fishtail.' 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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