weak side

noun

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Definition of weak side

1 : the side of a football formation having the smaller number of players; specifically : the side of a formation away from the tight end

2 : the side of a court or field (as in basketball or soccer) away from the ball

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weakside

play \ˈwēk-ˌsīd\ adjective

Recent Examples of weak side from the Web

Ovechkin scored the second Washington goal of the night from his customary slot lurking on the weak side on the power play in the second period.

— adam candee, Detroit Free Press, "2018 NHL Stanley Cup finals: Capitals win! Game 5 observations," 8 June 2018
Robertson is the top backup on the weak side, but perhaps Davis can handle that role if injuries start to impact the group.

— josh katzenstein, NOLA.com, "Saints testing linebacker Demario Davis' versatility this offseason," 30 May 2018
Oladipo off the ball The Pacers’ All-Star was mostly stationary in Game 5, playing on the weak side and not doing much of anything.

— j. michael falgoust, Indianapolis Star, "Pacers vs. Cavs: 3 things to watch, including how to free Victor Oladipo," 27 Apr. 2018
Wayne Tinkle said Tuesday the Beavers have been playing their best basketball of late, highlighting their weak side defense on pick and rolls by the Sun Devils.

— danny moran, OregonLive.com, "Oregon State Beavers believe they are playing their best basketball to close regular season," 28 Feb. 2018
One of those special teams guys could be UCLA linebacker Kenny Young, who will compete at weak side linebacker and was taken in the fourth round.

— mike preston, baltimoresun.com, "Mike Preston: Solid grade for Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome's farewell draft," 29 Apr. 2018
Head coach Adam Gase loves to flex his tight ends out wide, all alone on the weak side.

— dave hyde, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Hyde: Draftniks rate Dolphins' Day 2 picks of Gesicki, Baker," 28 Apr. 2018
He technically will be called the weak side linebacker and will call the defensive signals.

— kent somers, azcentral, "Can Arizona Cardinals find complement to cornerback Patrick Peterson in this draft?," 25 Apr. 2018
In Game 1, Blazers guards regularly passed out of the double teams to Nurkic in the middle of the defense, leaving him with two enticing options: Attack the basket against a smaller, inferior defender, or kick the ball to the weak side for a three.

— joe freeman, OregonLive.com, "Trail Blazers' Jusuf Nurkic pledges 'to be more aggressive' in Game 2 vs. Pelicans," 17 Apr. 2018

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

First Known Use of weak side

1940

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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weak side

Definition of weak side

weakside

Recent Examples of weak side from the Web

First Known Use of weak side

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Definition of weak side

weakside

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First Known Use of weak side

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