linebacker
noun
line·back·er
ˈlīn-ˌba-kər 
plural linebackers
: a football player on the defending team who typically lines up behind the defensive linemen
They play tight defense in the secondary, and linebackers fill gaps on the run and are expected to defend the pass.—
Jerry McDonald
Jerry McDonaldToday, a blitzing linebacker is just as likely to get a sack because no one blocked him as he is on a great pass rush move.—Tim Green
Tim GreenExamples of linebacker in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
YouTube cameras caught linebacker Drue Tranquill giving Jones an earful afterward.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Pritchard, a freshman linebacker for the Florida State Seminoles, remains in critical condition.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Or when Bates pancaked linebacker Darius Muasau so Croskey-Merritt could get his first regular-season touchdown run.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
The Panthers should probably promote practice-squad linebacker Krys Barnes in the coming weeks as insurance for Trevin Wallace, who was a major liability in Week 1 after a really strong summer.
—Mike Kaye
september 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for linebacker
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Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Pritchard, a freshman linebacker for the Florida State Seminoles, remains in critical condition.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
Or when Bates pancaked linebacker Darius Muasau so Croskey-Merritt could get his first regular-season touchdown run.
—Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
The Panthers should probably promote practice-squad linebacker Krys Barnes in the coming weeks as insurance for Trevin Wallace, who was a major liability in Week 1 after a really strong summer.
—Mike Kaye
september 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for linebacker
Cite this Entry
“Linebacker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/linebacker. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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linebacker
noun
line·back·er
ˈlīn-ˌbak-ər
: a football player on the defending team whose usual position is a short distance in back of the line of scrimmage
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