wind at someone's back
6
6.4
- idiom
- Informal
- With the unexpected funding, she has the wind at her back as she launches her new project.
Examples
-
You'll have the wind at your back.
-
Having supportive mentors gave him the wind at his back throughout his career.
-
The team's recent victories provided them with the wind at their back heading into the championship.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Help for a person or idea
144
2.6
Help or approval, often with money, that lets a project continue
105
1.7
Giving support that helps someone feel more confident and hopeful
34
4.6
Support someone during difficult times
Antonyms
How Favorable
80
4.0
- Informal
53
5.6
- Informal
6
6.4
282
2.8
97
3.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase evokes the literal image of wind at someone's back giving a push or assistance, so the figurative meaning of having favorable conditions or support is directly inferable from the constituent words. This physical-to-figurative mapping is simple and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the parts is likely to understand the expression.
Etymology
Wind at someone's back comes from the simple image of wind pushing from behind. When the wind is at your back, it helps a ship or a person move forward, so the phrase means 'enjoying support' or 'favorable conditions' that make progress easier.