1
: one who sets up or repairs electric wire communication or power lines
called also linesman
2
: a player in the forward line of a team
specifically
: a football player in the line
Examples of lineman in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Nate Faanes, found the right lineup combinations in Saturday night’s loss, even without starting defensive linemen Jaylon Johnson and DJ Burgess, the latter being out for the season with an upper-body injury.
—
Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
Cousin Ryan Gillis was an offensive lineman under Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers didn’t practice Wednesday with a knee injury, according to the team’s injury report.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025
College football rosters are usually set by summer and certainly by the first day of school, which makes San Diego State’s addition of UNLV transfer defensive lineman Tatuo Martinson this week highly unusual.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
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Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
Cousin Ryan Gillis was an offensive lineman under Bob Davie and Tyrone Willingham.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers didn’t practice Wednesday with a knee injury, according to the team’s injury report.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 10 Sep. 2025
College football rosters are usually set by summer and certainly by the first day of school, which makes San Diego State’s addition of UNLV transfer defensive lineman Tatuo Martinson this week highly unusual.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lineman
Cite this Entry
“Lineman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lineman. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lineman
noun
line·man
ˈlīn-mən 
1
: one who sets up or repairs power or telephone lines
2
: a football player whose position is on the line of scrimmage
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