quar·ter·back
ˈkwȯ(r)-tər-ˌbak 
1
: an offensive back in football who usually lines up behind the center, calls the signals, and directs the offensive play of the team
2
: one who directs and leads
quarterbacked; quarterbacking; quarterbacks
1
: to direct the offensive play of
quarterback a football team
2
: to give executive direction to : boss
… quarterbacked the original buying syndicate.—
Time
Time
: to play quarterback
Examples of quarterback in a Sentence
Verb
He quarterbacked his high school team.
She quarterbacked the company's latest ad campaign.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Harris
march 6, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026
Mansour, in a December podcast interview, likened his beef with Coplan with one of the most rousing rivalries in NFL history, the face-off between Tom Brady and Eli Manning over football quarterback supremacy.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026
Brady and Jayden Daniels are slated to quarterback two of the teams.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quarterback
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.
Noun
But after restructuring the contracts of quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and offensive lineman Tyler Smith, the team was able to free up $67 million toward the cap in 2026 to get back under the salary cap.
—Nick Harris
march 6, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2026
Mansour, in a December podcast interview, likened his beef with Coplan with one of the most rousing rivalries in NFL history, the face-off between Tom Brady and Eli Manning over football quarterback supremacy.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
Indianapolis was 7-2 at the time but injuries to quarterback Daniel Jones and Gardner helped derail their season.
—ABC News, 7 Mar. 2026
Brady and Jayden Daniels are slated to quarterback two of the teams.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quarterback
Cite this Entry
“Quarterback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarterback. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
