1. players or teams that are at the bottom of a league table or ranking
Usage: sports; chiefly British
2. the last batsmen in a cricket team’s batting order, typically numbers 9, 10, and 11
Usage: cricket

Examples

• The tailenders struggled to avoid relegation this season.
• Both tailenders were defeated by large margins last weekend.
• The captain hoped the tailenders could add a few more runs.
• Even the tailenders managed to contribute 30 runs to the total.
• The tailenders showed surprising resilience with the bat.
• These tailenders have been at the bottom of the table all year.