1
: the offensive football back farthest from the line of scrimmage
2
British
: a line of vehicles caused by a traffic slowdown or stoppage
Examples of tailback in a Sentence
stuck in a five-mile tailback on the southbound carriageway
Recent Examples on the Web
The 22-year-old second-year tailback became a household name and fan favorite for Dolphins fans and any fantasy football team owners lucky enough to snag him in 2023.
—
David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2024
Ryan Tannehill would be the starting quarterback, and tailback Dalvin Cook would handle the carries.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 June 2024
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys look like the current Big 12 team that’s best equipped to deal with the new Big 12 teams, thanks to a winning culture, returning playmakers, including star tailback Ollie Gordon, and a favorable conference schedule that doesn’t include Kansas, Arizona or Iowa State.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 3 June 2024
Lincoln High School/USC’s Allen was the first collegiate tailback to run for 2,000 yards in a season.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tailback 
David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2024
Ryan Tannehill would be the starting quarterback, and tailback Dalvin Cook would handle the carries.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 12 June 2024
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys look like the current Big 12 team that’s best equipped to deal with the new Big 12 teams, thanks to a winning culture, returning playmakers, including star tailback Ollie Gordon, and a favorable conference schedule that doesn’t include Kansas, Arizona or Iowa State.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 3 June 2024
Lincoln High School/USC’s Allen was the first collegiate tailback to run for 2,000 yards in a season.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tailback
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tailback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tailback
Cite this Entry
“Tailback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailback. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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