tailback

British
as in jam
a crowded mass (as of cars) that impedes or blocks movement stuck in a five-mile tailback on the southbound carriageway

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tailback Also, a slew of transfers have enabled the Golden Bears to patch holes in the depth chart, with tailback Kendrick Raphael (NC State), receiver Jacob De Jesus (UNLV), edge rusher TJ Bush (Liberty) and cornerback Hezekiah Masseson (Florida International) playing prominent roles. Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2025 On the injury front, Charlotte will again be without tailback Henry Rutledge (lower body). Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025 Gophers tailback Darius Taylor won’t play against California at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 13 Sep. 2025 The Great Market Booms In 2018 the Macallan distillery made national news for causing tailbacks on the road for people queuing to get the distillery exclusive Genesis. Mark Littler, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tailback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tailback
Noun
  • Mama’s Boy Known for its fresh biscuits, in-house raspberry jam, and long lines, Mama’s Boy is a breakfast spot that is beloved in many ex-college students’ and locals’ hearts.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Puth and the band stretched out nearly every song with jams, breakdowns, and solos, with the star occasionally scatting along with his harmonically adventurous keyboard excursions.
    Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The post stated that a special traffic pattern will also be in place on Saturday evening to help manage congestion.
    Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Traffic congestion in the Keys — especially during weekends, special events and the peak fall and winter tourist season — can slow things considerably.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The main drive for this new initiative is the lack of data storage, which is currently acting as a major bottleneck for China’s robotics industry.
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
  • This suggests that this eruption might not have been the main cause of the population bottleneck originally suggested in the Toba catastrophe hypothesis.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The result has been a seemingly endless run of East Washington Street roadwork and traffic snarls from Alabama Street downtown to I-465.
    Ryan Murphy, IndyStar, 25 Sep. 2025
  • There was talk of traffic snarls and strain on the power grid.
    Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 24 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tailback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailback. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!