free safety

noun

: a safety in football who has no particular receiver to cover in a man-to-man defense

Examples of free safety in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Although the safety positions are interchangeable, Sigle and Mustapha qualify more as in-the-box safeties rather than as a last line of defense, with Brown and Pinnock operating more as traditional free safeties. Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 12 Oct. 2025 He is currently tied with free safety Cam Bynum for the team lead in picks. James Boyd, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 In terms of the depth chart, Sanders is fourth among the free safeties. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025 Woodson is willing to stick his nose in as a box safety and is capable of playing single-high as a free safety. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 18 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for free safety

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of free safety was in 1958

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Cite this Entry

“Free safety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20safety. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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