JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div>
    <span>These</span>
    <span>should</span>
    <span>arrange</span>
    <span>themselves</span>
    <span>into</span>
    <span>columns,</span>
    <span>using</span>
    <span>all</span>
    <span>available</span>
    <span>width</span>
    <span>and</span>
    <span>minimizing</span>
    <span>the</span>
    <span>container's</span>
    <span>height.</span>
</div>

CSS

div {
    outline: 1px solid red;
    width: 100%;
    display: flex;
    flex-flow: column wrap;
    align-items: flex-start;
    /*height: 8em;*/
}
span {
    outline: 1px solid blue;
}