quarterback

1 of 2

noun

quar·​ter·​back ˈkwȯ(r)-tər-ˌbak How to pronounce quarterback (audio)
1
: an offensive back in football who usually lines up behind the center, calls the signals, and directs the offensive play of the team
2
: one who directs and leads

quarterback

2 of 2

verb

quarterbacked; quarterbacking; quarterbacks

transitive verb

1
: to direct the offensive play of
quarterback a football team
2
: to give executive direction to : boss
quarterbacked the original buying syndicateTime

intransitive verb

: to play quarterback

Examples of quarterback in a Sentence

Verb He quarterbacked his high school team. She quarterbacked the company's latest ad campaign.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Brittany Mahomes Shares Relatable Update After Son Bronze, 2, Poses with Santa Claus Brittany tagged her husband in the third slide, which showed the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, also 29, walking hand-in-hand with their two children. Angel Saunders, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024 By the numbers: California has produced 15 Heisman winners, including the most recent recipient Jayden Daniels, who played quarterback at LSU and now plays for the Washington Commanders. 10 winners were born in Ohio, nine in Texas and seven in Pennsylvania. Maxwell Millington, Axios, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
Bert Jones was slated to quarterback for the Colts the following Sunday in a game against the Buffalo Bills. Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 26 Nov. 2024 The Broncos had Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin aligned into the boundary with running back Javonte Williams and jumbo tight end Matt Peart as an eligible receiver all to quarterback Bo Nix’s right. Parker Gabriel, The Denver Post, 25 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for quarterback 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1892, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quarterback was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near quarterback

Cite this Entry

“Quarterback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarterback. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

quarterback

noun
quar·​ter·​back
ˈkwȯ(r)t-ər-ˌbak
: an offensive football back who calls the signals and directs the offensive play of the team
quarterback verb

More from Merriam-Webster on quarterback

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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