quarterback

1 of 2

noun

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

quarterback

2 of 2

verb

quarterbacked; quarterbacking; quarterbacks

transitive verb

1

: to direct the offensive play of

quarterback a football team

2

: to give executive direction to : boss

quarterbacked the original buying syndicate

—Time

intransitive verb

: to play quarterback

Synonyms

Verb

• supervise
• handle
• oversee
• command
• manage
• boss
• watch over

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

Noun

Both completions were to Akeed Ali, who briefly moved into the quarterback role late in the game, as did Logan Tretter. —Tris Wykes, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025

Two plays later, senior quarterback Owen Mordas connected on a beautiful bomb to senior receiver Brody Carges for a score to make it 14-7. —Erik Anderson, Boston Herald, 27 Sep. 2025

Verb

He was activated to the roster in March and earned the backup job to quarterback Aaron Rodgers. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025

Newton also played immediate successor to Tom Brady in New England and quarterbacked the Patriots to a 7-9 season in 2020. —MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1892, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing quarterback

• Monday-morning quarterback
• quarterback sneak

Rhymes for quarterback

• almanac
• camelback
• cardiac
• carryback
• cluniac
• diamondback
• lumberjack
• maniac
• paperback
• piggyback
• saddleback
• stickleback

Kids Definition

quarterback

noun

quar·​ter·​back

ˈkwȯ(r)t-ər-ˌbak

: an offensive football back who calls the signals and directs the offensive play of the team

quarterback verb