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Synonyms

halfback

American  
[haf-bak, hahf-] / ˈhæfˌbæk, ˈhɑf- /

noun

  1. Football.

    1. one of two backs back who typically line up on each side of the fullback.

    2. the position played by such a back.

  2. (in soccer, Rugby, field hockey, etc.) a player stationed near the forward line to carry out chiefly offensive duties.

halfback British  
/ ˈhɑːfˌbæk /

noun

  1. rugby either the scrum half or the stand-off half

  2. old-fashioned soccer any of three players positioned behind the line of forwards and in front of the fullbacks

  3. any of certain similar players in other team sports

  4. the position of a player who is halfback

"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 halfback

First recorded in 1880–85; half + back 1

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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.

George Halas gambled on Oklahoma A&M halfback Bob Fenimore despite a knee injury that cut short his senior season.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 25, 2024

They were also the first Huskies from the state of Michigan since Art Ahonen, a halfback from 1932 to 1934.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2023

Along with halfback Eugene “Mercury” Morris, they would form the nucleus of the Dolphins’ fearsome ’72 rushing attack.

From Washington Post • Jan. 13, 2023

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said the thought of McCaffrey throwing a halfback pass came during red-zone preparations Thursday night.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2022

He was about to be a junior at the black high school, where he made all A’s and played halfback on the football team.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

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.