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
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Senior wide receiver/linebacker Maddux Najera, junior free safety Rylan Berger, and junior lineman Leon Abbott will wrestle for the Panthers this winter.
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Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025
Senior free safety Bud Clark was selected despite missing the final two regular-season games.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Dec. 2025
Played free safety, but projects at linebacker for Aztecs.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2025
The captain rotated between nickel cornerback, strong safety and free safety and played every single defensive snap before his injury.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2025
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Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025
Senior free safety Bud Clark was selected despite missing the final two regular-season games.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Dec. 2025
Played free safety, but projects at linebacker for Aztecs.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2025
The captain rotated between nickel cornerback, strong safety and free safety and played every single defensive snap before his injury.
—Nate Atkins, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for free safety
Cite this Entry
“Free safety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20safety. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.
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