coach

noun, often attributive

\ˈkōch

Definition of coach

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a large usually closed four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage having doors in the sides and an elevated seat in front for the driver On special occasions the queen rides in a gold coach.

b : a railroad passenger car intended primarily for day travel Smoking is not permitted in the train's coaches.

c : bus sense 1a toured the city by coach

d : trailer sense 1b

e : a 2-door enclosed automobile

f : a class of passenger air transportation at a lower fare than first class We reserved two seats in coach.

2 [ from the concept that the tutor conveys the student through examinations ]

a : a private tutor hired a coach to help her daughter prepare for the test

b : one who instructs or trains an acting coach a birth coach especially : one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a sport and directs team strategy a football coach a pitching coach a gymnastics coach

coach

verb

coached; coaching; coaches

Definition of coach (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to go in a coach

2 : to instruct, direct, or prompt as a coach When an injury ended his playing career, he decided to coach.

transitive verb

1 : to train intensively (as by instruction and demonstration) coach pupils The lawyer coached the witness.

2 : to act as coach of coach tennis coach a team

Other Words from coach Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about coach

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Synonyms for coach

Synonyms: Noun

trainer

Synonyms: Verb

counsel, guide, lead, mentor, pilot, shepherd, show, tutor

Examples of coach in a Sentence

Noun

a track star who has been working with a new coach In those days, people usually traveled long distances in coaches.

Verb

He coaches the tennis star. He has coached the team for several years. She coached the U.S. gymnastics team at the Olympics. He has coached at the college level for many years. The lawyer admitted to coaching the witness. It was clear that the witness had been coached by her lawyer on how to answer the questions.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Orlando Magic executives, coaches and scouts know this as well as anyone, and so do the players on the summer league roster who appeared in NBA regular-season games last season. — Josh Robbins, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Jonathan Isaac, Mo Bamba gave Magic hope at summer league," 14 July 2018 Zdravko Mamić, who was also the vice president of the Croatian Football Federation, was arrested with his brother, Zoran (Dinamo’s head coach), on charges of illegally diverting funds and tax evasion. — Hayden Bird, BostonGlobe.com, "What to know about the World Cup title match," 14 July 2018 Despite what his spell in England would suggest, Pellegrino had been touted as a promising young coach and made h whilst at Independiente and Alaves. — SI.com, "Mauricio Pellegrino Aiming to Avoid Southampton Mistakes After Signing 1-Year Leganes Contract," 13 July 2018 Rogers did not hesitate to criticize his players and other coaches in the league. — Detroit Free Press Staff, Detroit Free Press, "Darryl Rogers funeral: Arrangements set for ex-Detroit Lions, MSU coach," 13 July 2018 The Hartford-New England affiliation cannot be finalized until Hartford Athletic hires a head coach and a director of soccer. — Shawn Mcfarland, courant.com, "Hartford Athletic, New England Revolution Moving Towards Direct Affiliation," 13 July 2018 Plenty of players and coaches have gotten along on the surface, even amid an undercurrent of discontent about playing time. — Ira Winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "ASK IRA: Will détente work for Spoelstra and Whiteside?," 12 July 2018 Eligible in 2016-17 at UAB under Robert Ehsan, who was promoted from assistant to head coach, Lavender had similar success. — Michael Osipoff, Post-Tribune, "In full bloom: Valparaiso adds graduate transfer guard Deion Lavender for upcoming season," 12 July 2018 Snyder became a coach immediately after college, mostly in the high school ranks in California. — Blair Kerkhoff, kansascity, "Bill Snyder remembers roots at dedication in his name," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Chiefly, Dan Hughes, the most experienced coach in WNBA history, came out of a one-year retirement stint to coach the Storm. — Alexa Philippou, The Seattle Times, "How the Seattle Storm flipped its fortunes and rose to the top of WNBA standings," 9 July 2018 Brown, 31, played linebacker for Ball State between 2004 and 2008 and went on to play in the Canadian Football League before moving to China to coach. — NBC News, "Chinese court hands U.S. football coach Wendell Brown 4-year prison sentence," 28 June 2018 When Andrew showed an interest in baseball, Mr. Ryan jumped at the chance to coach. — Jen Murphy, WSJ, "A Father-Son Baseball Bond Stretches to Adulthood," 16 June 2018 Russell — who won multiple championships with the Celtics and later became the first African-American to coach a major professional sports team — was given the medal by President Barack Obama in 2011. — PEOPLE.com, "NBA Legend Bill Russell Tweets Photo of Him Kneeling After Trump Cancels Eagles' White House Visit," 6 June 2018 This is why Steve Kerr spurned his dear mentor Phil Jackson and opted to coach the Warriors instead of the Knicks. — Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, "Ringmaster Stephen Curry is back, and the Warriors’ circus is on," 1 June 2018 Of her eventual win, Cartelli gives much credit to coach Clarkson, whose authenticity both on-screen and off struck a chord with her youngest protégée. — Abby Jones, Billboard, "'The Voice' Winner Brynn Cartelli on Her Age, Kelly Clarkson's Off-Screen Antics & Future Plans," 24 May 2018 Darryl Rogers, who coached Michigan State to a share of the Big Ten title in 1978 and later took the helm for the Detroit Lions, died. — BostonGlobe.com, "Astros punish Ken Giles by sending him to Triple A," 12 July 2018 Tennessee will hope for a better defensive performance in 2018 with former Florida State, Georgia and Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt taking the head coaching job after a long, dramatic coaching search. — Jon Hale, The Courier-Journal, "How Kentucky football can win (or lose) against Tennessee in 2018," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'coach.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.