1
: the offensive football back farthest from the line of scrimmage
2
British
: a line of vehicles caused by a traffic slowdown or stoppage
Examples of tailback in a Sentence
stuck in a five-mile tailback on the southbound carriageway
Recent Examples on the Web
Tennessee has transfers at quarterback (Aguilar) and tailback (Star Thomas) leading an offense that has looked very potent so far.
—
Seth Emerson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
While rookie Travis Hunter had a relatively quiet day in his NFL debut, with six catches for 33 yards, tailback Travis Etienne rolled through the Panthers for 143 rushing yards.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025
The Gophers’ tailback grabbed his hamstring after awkwardly falling to the turf.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 8 Sep. 2025
Your tailbacks and your offensive line are good enough to be your base.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tailback
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Seth Emerson, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
While rookie Travis Hunter had a relatively quiet day in his NFL debut, with six catches for 33 yards, tailback Travis Etienne rolled through the Panthers for 143 rushing yards.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Sep. 2025
The Gophers’ tailback grabbed his hamstring after awkwardly falling to the turf.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 8 Sep. 2025
Your tailbacks and your offensive line are good enough to be your base.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tailback
Cite this Entry
“Tailback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailback. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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