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
That is especially true with so many of the 49ers’ true tailbacks missing from the lineup.
—
Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 11 Dec. 2024
Aerial views showed a long tailback as the snow continued to fall.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 3 Dec. 2024
Facing 2nd-and-goal from the Gators’ 3 late in the third quarter, freshman tailback Kam Davis bobbled a pitch and Gumbs Jr. recovered to end the scoring threat and preserve a 17-3 UF lead.
—Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Dec. 2024
All Lewis could think about was how the oldest starting tailback in the league could still find a third gear in open space.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tailback 
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.
Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 11 Dec. 2024
Aerial views showed a long tailback as the snow continued to fall.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 3 Dec. 2024
Facing 2nd-and-goal from the Gators’ 3 late in the third quarter, freshman tailback Kam Davis bobbled a pitch and Gumbs Jr. recovered to end the scoring threat and preserve a 17-3 UF lead.
—Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Dec. 2024
All Lewis could think about was how the oldest starting tailback in the league could still find a third gear in open space.
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tailback
Dictionary Entries Near tailback
Cite this Entry
“Tailback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailback. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share