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Synonyms

American football

British  

noun

  1. a team game similar to rugby, with 11 players on each side. Forward passing is allowed and planned strategies and formations for play are decided during the course of the game

  2. the oval-shaped inflated ball used in this game

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

My character in the show is English and not interested in American football, so I’m kind of having to play dumb.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

What’s wrong with celebrating American football for what it is: an American sport that is a behemoth in TV ratings?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

"It was roughly the size and shape of an American football," says Mann.

From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026

American football "has had a huge impact on my life, and I hope it happens to some other people" back home, he said.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

Kevin played lock alongside Chas, so he was exactly Chas’s height; and Joey, who was six-one, played fly half, number ten, which is kind of the equivalent to quarterback in American football.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith