How to Use first-string in a Sentence

first-string

adjective

• Perkins has worked with the second-team defense and saw a snap with the first-string unit as well, aligning over the center’s right shoulder in a pass-rushing look.
  — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 20 June 2026
• That is an obvious but nevertheless tempting play with Burrow and the first-string offense in action.
  — Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
• Most importantly, many defensive special-teams rushers are first-string players, whereas the blockers tend to be second- and third-string players.
  — J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
• Tustin’s first-string defense was just as overwhelming, holding the Vanguards to negative-16 yards in the first half while the offense built a 48-0 lead.
  — Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025
• The veteran safety, one of only two first-string defensive backs to start and finish the game Sunday, sat alone in his locker still draped in nearly all his game attire, minus the jersey and shoulder pads.
  — Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
• If the coach wanted this year’s QB ti be a rusher, like Leonard, (and take plays from Love and Price), why not use Minchey as the first-string QB instead?
  — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
• With Hollins and Boutte absent and Brown still on the Eagles, Doubs, Williams, Chism and Douglas received most of the first-string work at wide receiver.
  — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
• And when coaches couldn’t decide who was worthy of first-string reps, former Ravenwood head coach Will Hester, who has since retired, and Rodriguez, the offensive coordinator at the time, approached the two about a plan to share series evenly.
  — Grace Raynor, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
• On a rest day for Bo Nix and much of the Broncos’ first-string crew, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, and a few key depth pieces, led the Broncos to a 27-7 beatdown of the Cardinals at Empower Field on Saturday night.
  — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025