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

The list includes a few graduate students or redshirt seniors who would have to win petitions from the NCAA to have another year of eligibility, such as Saili, Talley, defensive end Justus Boone and tailback AJ Green, who played two stints at Arkansas. —Tom Murphy, Arkansas Online, 3 Jan. 2026

But to protect themselves, the Dolphins added a fourth tailback Friday, poaching Donovan Edwards from Washington’s practice squad. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2026

Bass, who as a young man played a year as a tailback for the Utah State Aggies, was fascinated by the program, and its coach, Anthony Barnes. —Michael Schaub, Oc Register, 29 Dec. 2025

Lost in the pain of the Broncos' win streaks dying was another decent night from rookie tailback RJ Harvey. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Dec. 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