cornerback

American

[kawr-ner-bak] / ˈkɔr nərˌbæk /

noun

Football.

one of two defensive backs positioned in the secondary between the linebackers and safeties, responsible for covering the outside areas near the sidelines against end runs and pass plays.

cornerback British

/ ˈkɔːnəˌbæk /

noun

American football a defensive back

"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

Etymology

Origin of cornerback

First recorded in 1965–70; corner + back ¹

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.

See Examples For:

cornerback

As a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie faced Allen three times during the regular season and twice in the playoffs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

McBride felt he had been interfered with by Giants cornerback Dru Phillips from a pass from Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett that fell incomplete.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie reviewed the play “over and over.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

Against one of the worst teams in the Big Ten, USC’s high-powered offense and a clutch pick-6 from cornerback Prophet Brown were enough to survive the defense’s late-down struggles for a fourth consecutive win.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

Roqui Pearce, who had graduated from Permian in 1988 and was going out with starting defensive cornerback Coddi Dean, said there was definitely a mystique in the school about dating a Permian football player.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023