throw a block
idiom
American football
: to hit an opposing player to prevent him from making a tackle
The lineman threw a block that freed his teammate to make a long run.
Examples of throw a block in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Banks’ failure to throw a block on a return by Gunner Olszewski against the Saints was a bad look.
—
Dan Duggan, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
So if the pandemic has inspired you to get to know your neighbors — to build community and to be resilient in the face of an emergency — what better way than to throw a block party?
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2023
Daniel Hemric’s race ended in the first overtime when he was crashed as the leader trying to throw a block and his car ended up flipped over on its roof.
—Jenna Fryer, al, 23 Apr. 2023
Willing to stand in the pocket, able to absorb a hit, happy even to throw a block or attempt a tackle on a turnover, Jones has more than impressed teammates with his resilience.
—Tara Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Sep. 2022
Cindric moved to the outside to throw a block on Blaney, but with an open lane on the inside, Wallace just couldn’t get there.
—Michelle R. Martinelli, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2022
Seeing no openings in the secondary, Plummer tried to throw a block for Wiley.
—Michael Lev, The Arizona Republic, 15 Nov. 2021
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Dan Duggan, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
So if the pandemic has inspired you to get to know your neighbors — to build community and to be resilient in the face of an emergency — what better way than to throw a block party?
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2023
Daniel Hemric’s race ended in the first overtime when he was crashed as the leader trying to throw a block and his car ended up flipped over on its roof.
—Jenna Fryer, al, 23 Apr. 2023
Willing to stand in the pocket, able to absorb a hit, happy even to throw a block or attempt a tackle on a turnover, Jones has more than impressed teammates with his resilience.
—Tara Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Sep. 2022
Cindric moved to the outside to throw a block on Blaney, but with an open lane on the inside, Wallace just couldn’t get there.
—Michelle R. Martinelli, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2022
Seeing no openings in the secondary, Plummer tried to throw a block for Wiley.
—Michael Lev, The Arizona Republic, 15 Nov. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Throw a block.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/throw%20a%20block. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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