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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

The Rams’ trip across the country to play the Washington Commanders on Sunday will be a homecoming of sorts for coach Sean McVay, safety Kam Curl and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026

The Rams activated kicker Joshua Karty to the roster from the practice squad and signed cornerback David Long to the practice squad.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Rams cornerback Jaylen Watson will have shoulder surgery and is out for the season, coach Sean McVay said Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

For the Colts, the bet spoiled quickly after they acquired cornerback Sauce Gardner from New York last season in exchange for first rounders in 2026 and 2027, along with receiver Adonai Mitchell.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

“Are cornerback and quarterback actually two different things?”

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

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