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
The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Caliendo handled the rest of the game, allowing no quarterback pressures on 32 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Also out for Houston are offensive tackles Trent Brown (the cousin of 49ers rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins) and Jarrett Kingston (2024 sixth-round pick by the 49ers), defensive end Darrell Taylor, and quarterback Graham Mertz.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
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
How has quarterback play impacted the College Football Playoff race?
—The Athletic College Football Staff, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Caliendo handled the rest of the game, allowing no quarterback pressures on 32 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is one of the more important pieces of the Philadelphia Eagles offense next to quarterback Jalen Hurts.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Also out for Houston are offensive tackles Trent Brown (the cousin of 49ers rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins) and Jarrett Kingston (2024 sixth-round pick by the 49ers), defensive end Darrell Taylor, and quarterback Graham Mertz.
—Cam Inman, Mercury News, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quarterback
Cite this Entry
“Quarterback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarterback. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share