Synonyms

forward pass

American

noun

Football.

a pass in which the ball is thrown in the direction of advance toward the opponent's goal.

forward pass British

noun

Also called: throw-forward. rugby an illegal pass towards the opponent's dead-ball line

"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 forward pass

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

Which is how it quickly instituted some of the most notable shifts in the way the game is played since the adoption of the forward pass.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Each forward pass strengthens the wave, while each backward pass weakens it.

From Science Daily • Jan. 17, 2026

Already, Tipping is as allergic to subtlety as a forward pass right down the middle on the 50-yard line — or whatever football play would be a really obvious one.

From Salon • Sep. 19, 2025

Kurt-Lee Arendse scampered into the corner, only to be called back for an Aphelele Fassi forward pass.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2024

They the more strongly emphasize the fact that as a general principle a regular forward pass play should aim to get as many eligible men as possible open to receive the pass.

From The Forward Pass in Football by Berry, Elmer

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