Definition of tailbacknext
British
as in jam
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement stuck in a five-mile tailback on the southbound carriageway

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of tailback Gordon rushed for exactly 100 yards, even as he was limited to just nine carries and wasn’t even the starter as the first tailback up behind Achane. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026 Russian assaults since Thursday have forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv's six road bridges, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks in the Ukrainian capital. — Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026 Russian assaults since Thursday have forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks in Moscow’s latest effort to disrupt life in the Ukrainian capital. — Susie Blann, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 The Terrapins did play without their two top tailbacks and finished with just 39 rushing yards. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tailback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tailback
Noun
  • Hines put back a Mullins miss from beyond the arc with a one-handed jam and Landrew went on a personal 11-3 run with makes from all three levels.
    — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The savory vol-au-vent with pear and onion jam, tart tamarind and pecorino cheese is ambitious, but the pastry itself was a bit heavy, the layers not quite flaky enough for the abundant stuffing.
    — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • People headed to O’Hare are a big source of Kennedy congestion.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Beyond alleviating school traffic and stadium congestion, the project serves as a major utility corridor.
    — Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • India’s courts are drowning in documents — and even recording witness testimony can create a bottleneck.
    — Zoë Schiffer, semafor.com, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The 140,000-square-foot facility will manufacture missile systems, interceptors, high-voltage drone fuzes, seekers and other critical components, helping address bottlenecks in the US munitions supply chain.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • To get to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, take the metro (look for the brown Metro Line 9) to avoid getting entangled in traffic snarls.
    — Alan Chazaro, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Oct. 2026
  • His Lamb goes from a brash Yorkshire showman to a callous profiteer of human vice and misery, his cheeky smile becoming a vicious snarl.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tailback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailback. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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