close to the wind
/ˈkloʊs tə‿ðə ˈwɪnd/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.72 in modern English
23
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
2
Syllables
11
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Near a limit of feasibility or compliance with law or morality.
adj
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see close to, the, wind.
adv
Near a limit of feasibility or compliance with law or morality.
adv
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see close to, the, wind.
Example Sentences
- "I mean, I shouldn't be altogether flabbergasted if you were to tell me that there had been tax fiddles here, or even something a bit close to the wind where the play and the girls are concerned."
- "Coming on the heels of revelations about financial and property dealings a bit close to the wind in other sections of the Gaullist Party, the authority of the Prime Minister could not but be weakened"
- "Time you want a real good friend is when you're gone just a bit close to the wind, and want to be set right again."
- "Miriam's wordplay was steering fractionally too close to the wind for my liking."
- "This means, naturally, that a prosecutor anxious about tacking too close to the wind will disclose a favorable piece of evidence."
- "As far as an FA charge goes, Warnock sailed closest to the wind in his initial, expansively voiced televised criticism of Oliver—the youngest Premier League ref at 26"
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈkloʊs tə‿ðə ˈwɪnd/
- British English: /ˈkləʊs tə‿ðə ˈwɪnd/
Inflected Forms
closer to the wind (comparative)
closest to the wind (superlative)