tailback

noun tail·back \ ˈtāl-ˌbak \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of tailback

1 : the offensive football back farthest from the line of scrimmage

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

See tailback defined for English-language learners

Examples of tailback in a Sentence

stuck in a five-mile tailback on the southbound carriageway

Recent Examples of tailback from the Web

No one should expect a repeat of last year's memorably superb draft class in which the Saints landed four major contributors in cornerback Marshon Lattimore, offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk, safety Marcus Williams and tailback Alvin Kamara.

— mark maske, chicagotribune.com, "2018 NFL draft: The lingering critical needs for every team," 17 Apr. 2018
McCrae will help fill out a deep group of tailbacks that includes Adrian Killins Jr., Taj McGowan, Cordarrian Richardson and Otis Anderson Jr. 3.

— shannon green, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Three things we learned after UCF football's scrimmage," 12 Apr. 2018
And Miami didn’t re-sign starting guard Jermon Bushrod, safety Michael Thomas, tailback Damien Williams, linebacker Neville Hewitt, and defensive end Terrence Fede.

— omar kelly, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Miami's first loss to Buffalo last season convinced Gase Dolphins needed culture change," 5 Apr. 2018
His chance has come this season in the obscure Indoor Football League, becoming the starting tailback for the Rattlers two games ago, and making the most of his chance.

— richard obert, azcentral, "Rattlers RB Shadrach Thornton revives football career after series of setbacks," 30 Mar. 2018
The proliferation of spread offenses initially dialed back a notch the importance of the tailback.

— albert breer, SI.com, "NFL Draft Quarterback Class: The Holes, the Hype and How the Combine Performances Will Factor," 1 Mar. 2018
Forte often played in the shadow of other very good NFL running backs, but Forte emerged as one of the most well-rounded tailbacks in the league during his decade in the NFL.

— larry holder, NOLA.com, "Obscure no more, Slidell native and Tulane alum Matt Forte walks away from the NFL," 28 Feb. 2018
The 6-1 linebacker/tailback from Madison, Conn. will play at Penn. Hunter Tully The 5-11, 185-pound Tully was named to the Catholic Conference All-Star team for his play at cornerback for the Knights.

— BostonGlobe.com, "2017-18 Football All-Scholastics," 3 Apr. 2018
Deal, 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, is among four healthy scholarship tailbacks this spring.

— jeff potrykus, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Badgers tailback Taiwan Deal hopes to leave injuries in his wake in final season," 3 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tailback.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of tailback

1930

TAILBACK Defined for English Language Learners

tailback

noun

Definition of tailback for English Language Learners

American football : a player on offense who runs with the ball and blocks
: a situation in which the flow of traffic is blocked and a long line of vehicles forms