play-action pass
noun
play-ac·tion pass
: a pass play in football in which the quarterback fakes a handoff before passing the ball
called also play-action
Examples of play-action pass in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Patriots' seven play-action passes yielded 77 passing yards, four first downs and a touchdown.
—
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Though the Lions’ offensive linemen do an excellent job of selling run on play-action passes, there’s still a subtle difference to note early between run blocking and pass blocking.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
All of it led to Young throwing a play-action pass to Evans from the 4.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2025
The Broncos’ ability to rip off some big runs — Gaines for 28, Sherrod for 22 — allowed play-action passes to work well.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025
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Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
Though the Lions’ offensive linemen do an excellent job of selling run on play-action passes, there’s still a subtle difference to note early between run blocking and pass blocking.
—Jesse Newell, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
All of it led to Young throwing a play-action pass to Evans from the 4.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2025
The Broncos’ ability to rip off some big runs — Gaines for 28, Sherrod for 22 — allowed play-action passes to work well.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play-action pass
Cite this Entry
“Play-action pass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play-action%20pass. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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