downfield

American

[doun-feeld] / ˈdaʊnˈfild /

adverb

Football.

past the line of scrimmage and at or toward the goal line of the defensive team.

He sent his receivers downfield. Downfield blocking is important on passes.

Etymology

Origin of downfield

First recorded in 1940–45; down ¹ + field

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:

downfield

With an all-time great tight end in Travis Kelce and a game-breaking receiver in Tyreek Hill, he could elude pass rushers and move the ball downfield with just a couple of throws.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

This being “Ted Lasso,” every determined push downfield strides on a turf green with optimism.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2026

Imagine an NFL referee walking onto the field with two minutes left in the game to announce that the end zone has moved 10 yards downfield, effective immediately.

From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026

They could play to keep the score down, pack the midfield, hoof everything downfield and never venture a shot on Brazil's goal and still make it through.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

I ran downfield and positioned myself in front of the goal, being careful not to get offside.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

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