fullback

noun

full·​back ˈfu̇l-ˌbak 

1

: an offensive football back used primarily for line plunges and blocking

2

: a primarily defensive player usually stationed nearest the defended goal (as in soccer or field hockey)

Examples of fullback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At 6-foot, 215 pounds, Jenkins can bowl over defenders and runs like a fullback. — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

Center Logan Jones played with Large at Iowa and watched his journey from Dordt to Hawkeyes fullback to tight end and then to the Bears. — Kevin Fishbain, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Other notable Harvard alums in the NFL include former Vikings center Matt Birk, Bengals punter/receiver Pat McInally, and current Ravens fullback Kyle Juszczyk. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2026

For Cheberko and fellow fullback Ryan Hollingshead, the contest marked LAFC’s first setback with them in the starting XI. — Josh Gross, Daily News, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for fullback

• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback

Kids Definition

fullback

noun

full·​back ˈfu̇l-ˌbak 

1

: a football back who usually lines up between the halfbacks

2

: a mainly defensive player (as in soccer or field hockey) who usually plays near the goal to be defended