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
FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The game effectively ended with an infamous play call by then-Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who opted to have then-quarterback Russell Wilson throw the ball at the one-yard line instead of handing it off to running back Marshawn Lynch.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
The Philadelphia Eagles hired Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion Thursday as their new offensive coordinator, replacing Kevin Patullo.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quarterback
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Noun
Continue reading … IN OTHER NEWS RING OR BUST – Patriots quarterback reveals coach's blunt Super Bowl message to team.
—FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
The game effectively ended with an infamous play call by then-Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, who opted to have then-quarterback Russell Wilson throw the ball at the one-yard line instead of handing it off to running back Marshawn Lynch.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
Verb
Meanwhile, Cade Cunningham quarterbacked the Pistons offense expertly, scoring 29 and passing out 11 assists, many of those going to Jalen Duren, who scored 21 and grabbed 13 rebounds.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
The Philadelphia Eagles hired Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion Thursday as their new offensive coordinator, replacing Kevin Patullo.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 29 Jan. 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 2 Feb. 2026.
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