tailback

noun

tail·​back ˈtāl-ˌbak 

1

: the offensive football back farthest from the line of scrimmage

2

British : a line of vehicles caused by a traffic slowdown or stoppage

Synonyms of tailback

• jam
• congestion
• bottleneck
• snarl

Examples of tailback in a Sentence

stuck in a five-mile tailback on the southbound carriageway

Recent Examples on the Web

Once heavily reliant on the air attack with one of the best receiver duos in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the Dolphins have now transformed into a run team powered by tailback De’Von Achane. —Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025

The ’24-25 offseason, by contrast, brought QB Kaidon Salter from Liberty, who would lose his starting job twice, while defensive tackle Jaheim Oatis (Alabama) and tailback Simeon Price (Coastal Carolina) got hurt. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 3 Dec. 2025

The four-star running back broke current Vikings tailback Aaron Jones’ high school rushing records in El Paso, Texas. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 3 Dec. 2025

However, a 50-yard run from Tigers tailback Dylan Leone set the team up in the red zone when the quarter expired. —Jack Murray, Boston Herald, 26 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tailback

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback