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
Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
But on a day when Mizzou amassed 595 total yards, converted 4 of 5 fourth downs and got an excellent effort from first-year starting quarterback Beau Pribula, surrendering possession had to fill Kansas followers with a sense of dread.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
Jesse Newell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Not only do the Ravens (+700) and Bills (+750) have the shortest odds to win the AFC title, but also quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are the top MVP choices, in that order.
—Jack Magruder, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quarterback
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Noun
Toney, who less than a year ago was leading Plantation American Heritage to a state championship as both a receiver and a quarterback, had already begun to show his potential in last week’s win over Notre Dame.
—Andre Fernandez, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
But on a day when Mizzou amassed 595 total yards, converted 4 of 5 fourth downs and got an excellent effort from first-year starting quarterback Beau Pribula, surrendering possession had to fill Kansas followers with a sense of dread.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
Now, quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ top receiving threat is … a 35-year-old Travis Kelce again?
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Not only do the Ravens (+700) and Bills (+750) have the shortest odds to win the AFC title, but also quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are the top MVP choices, in that order.
—Jack Magruder, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 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 8 Sep. 2025.
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