quar·ter·back
ˈkwȯ(r)-tər-ˌbak 
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
quarterbacked; quarterbacking; quarterbacks
1
: to direct the offensive play of
quarterback a football team
2
: to give executive direction to : boss
quarterbacked the original buying syndicate—
Time
Time
: 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
Chris Licata, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
The Vikings have their quarterback of the future on the roster in J.J. McCarthy.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2025
In Spurgeon, the Wild gain back a top-four defenseman who quarterbacks the top power play unit — which just got a lot more firepower with the return of Kaprizov.
—Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quarterback
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Noun
New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and new head coach Kellen Moore voiced their support Wednesday for Derek Carr as the team’s quarterback in 2025.
—Chris Licata, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
The Vikings have their quarterback of the future on the roster in J.J. McCarthy.
—Steve Silverman, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
Verb
In posts shared Saturday and Sunday on X, ESPN’s Adam Schefter implied that NFL officials help quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2025
In Spurgeon, the Wild gain back a top-four defenseman who quarterbacks the top power play unit — which just got a lot more firepower with the return of Kaprizov.
—Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quarterback
Cite this Entry
“Quarterback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarterback. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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