first down
noun
plural first downs
1
: the first of a series of usually four downs (see down entry 5 sense 3a) in which a football team must net a 10-yard gain to retain possession of the ball
2
: a gain of a total of 10 or more yards within usually four downs giving the team the right to start a new series of downs
Examples of first down in a Sentence
They have first down on the 20-yard line.
The pass was completed for a first down.
Recent Examples on the Web
Green Bay finished with 325 total yards and had 22 first downs on 11 drives.
—
Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 25 Nov. 2024
Consider the opening drive, New England with the ball with a fourth-and-1 at its 39, which means Mayo was presented with an opportunity to do something daring, such as plow ahead for that extra yard and a first down.
—Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
Three different times, USC found itself inside UCLA’s five-yard line with a first down.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
And as is the case in any other administration, stocks also saw some rough patches during Trump’s first term, as the S&P 500 fell just over 6% in 2018, the index’s first down year in a decade.
—Michael Foster, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
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Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 25 Nov. 2024
Consider the opening drive, New England with the ball with a fourth-and-1 at its 39, which means Mayo was presented with an opportunity to do something daring, such as plow ahead for that extra yard and a first down.
—Steve Buckley, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
Three different times, USC found itself inside UCLA’s five-yard line with a first down.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024
And as is the case in any other administration, stocks also saw some rough patches during Trump’s first term, as the S&P 500 fell just over 6% in 2018, the index’s first down year in a decade.
—Michael Foster, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for first down
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Cite this Entry
“First down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first%20down. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
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