tailback

noun

tail·​back ˈtāl-ˌbak How to pronounce tailback (audio)
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
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.
The Bears were down 12-7 with just more than six minutes left when offensive coordinator Shane Waldron dialed up the call for reserve center Doug Kramer Jr., who was lined up in the I-formation ahead of tailback Roschon Johnson. Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2024 The Rebels opted to go for the win and a two-point conversion after senior tailback James Basinger ran in a 1-yard touchdown in overtime. David Mullen, The Denver Post, 18 Oct. 2024 Richard, playing tailback, had previously brought the ball to the three-yard line on the aforementioned fumble recovery, but failed to punch it in himself after multiple no-yardage rushes. Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024 Timeout for trivia: On Oct. 17, 2021, the Broncos tailback pulled a similar kind of leap here against the Raiders, hopping over Vegas safety Tre’von Moehrig. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 6 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tailback 

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tailback was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near tailback

Cite this Entry

“Tailback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailback. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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