tailbacks

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 tailbacks But is there room for four tailbacks on the 53-man roster of this team? Omar Kelly august 17, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2026 That should allow star running back De’Von Achane to find space to scoot around the edge, or for rotational tailbacks Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II to pound it along the left side. David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2026 The team’s tailbacks were led by Jordan James and rookie Kaelon Black. Matt Barrows, New York Times, 29 May 2026 At some point on Saturday, or before, look at the tailbacks most likely to be on the board after Round 2 or Round 3. Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 21 Apr. 2026 The Broncos also will need more production from tailbacks Jaleel McLaughlin and RJ Harvey, who combined for 41 rushing yards across just 10 carries against Buffalo. Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2026 The 49ers didn’t have a single running back break 300 yards last season, and while the line struggled to open holes, the tailbacks couldn’t hold on to the ball. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 19 Jan. 2026 But mostly, the Bills have allowed star tailbacks to run amok. Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tailbacks
Noun
  • But this film’s logic lies in the edit, starting and ending with a stop-start stutter motif that jars us into this world of a small Oklahoma town, where a bluegrass band jams in a restaurant parking lot.
    Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Satellite navigation can fail when an adversary jams GPS or China’s BeiDou system.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The wildly popular Instagram page was offline for a hot minute, leaving the general pop pining for videos on the myriad zany happenings in our city, from traffic snarls and celebrity shenanigans to animal encounters and fights outside the club.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026
  • The state Department of Transportation is scheduled to install temporary three-way stop signs at the intersections during a road project that’s already created mind-numbing traffic snarls and angry and confused drivers.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 23 July 2026
Noun
  • Concerns are growing that the de-facto tolling of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a domino effect for key shipping bottlenecks worldwide, creating more global inflation and effectively killing key components of international maritime law.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Supply-chain bottlenecks for chips and an aging electricity grid have led to price spikes.
    Matt Peterson, CNBC, 18 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Tailbacks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tailbacks. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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