backfield
Americannoun
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(used with a plural verb) the members of the team who, on offense, are stationed behind the linemen and, on defense, behind the linebackers.
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their positions considered as a unit.
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the area where the backs play.
noun
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(sometimes functioning as plural) the quarterback and running backs in a team
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the area behind the line of scrimmage from which the backfield begin each play
Etymology
Origin of backfield
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.
Opting for Marcus Smith, an excellent and versatile player, but not a specialist full-back, at 15 after the late withdrawal of George Furbank did not settle the backfield defence.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Scotland and Ireland both fielded the backfield barrage, with catchers trumping England in the air and their energised team-mates well positioned to scoop up any loose-ball from spills.
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026
Over the course of New England’s first four possessions, Maye was brought down in the backfield three times.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
Smith-Njigba has given opposing defensive coaches nightmares all season as he can be deployed anywhere -- his explosive runs come from out wide, in the slot, or even the backfield.
From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026
But probably it was the thought of Odell, as he had been called all that week during practice, staring across from him in the Marshall backfield.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
