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

• 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

Despite the departure of veteran tailbacks Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr., the Dolphins running back room didn’t get any smaller. —C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 22 June 2025

The Dolphins have exhibited an emphasis in improving the run game around speedy tailback De’Von Achane. —David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 12 June 2025

His 1,499 scrimmage rushing and receiving yards in 2024 were the third most by a tailback in franchise history, trailing only Ricky Williams’ 2002 (2,216) and 2003 seasons (1,723). —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025

Panthers tailback LeSean McCoy ran for 148 yards on 38 carries, while WVU’s Steve Slaton and Pat White managed just 52 yards on 23 carries, with White injuring his thumb late in the first half. —David Ubben, New York Times, 22 May 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