linebacker
Americannoun
-
a player on defense who takes a position close behind the linemen.
-
the position played by this player.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of linebacker
Explanation
A linebacker is a defensive player on an American football team. If you ever hear someone described as being "built like a linebacker," it means the person is large and strong. There are usually three or four linebackers on the field during play. A linebacker's job is to defend the goal area of the football field against runs, and to block plays by the opposing team. Linebackers usually stand behind the line of scrimmage in front of the defensive backs known as safeties. There are several different specific kinds of linebackers, including middle, outside, strongside, and weakside.
Vocabulary lists containing linebacker
American Football, 2nd Quarter
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Frindle
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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.
See Examples For:
Daniel Adongo, 37, who was a linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts for two years, overstayed his visa in 2016, the year after his NFL career ended, according to the US authorities.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Micah Parsons, a linebacker recently traded to the Green Bay Packers, just signed a four-year, $186 million contract.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
For now, he is helping San Diego Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley, a Crenshaw graduate, coach his youth football team ages 12 and 13.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
On defense, cornerback Osiris Gilbert broke up multiple passes and had a few hard hits, linebacker Samuel Omosigho earned a sack, and linebacker Malaki Soliai-Tui forced a fumble.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026
I’m big as a linebacker, and a seven-year-old girl treats me like her errand boy.
From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko
“The safeties were wide enough, and the linebackers were out. It was a light box,” said quarterback coach Chandler Whitmer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
“Having two linebackers who weren’t on our team a month ago—and those guys playing that whole game at a high level—was so impressive,” Shanahan said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
Shula coached inside linebackers, defensive backs and edge rushers for the Rams before he was elevated to defensive coordinator in 2024 after Raheem Morris left to become coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2026
Two of them, linebackers Aiden Fisher and D’Angelo Ponds, had Alabama’s offense so flummoxed that they managed just 30 rushing yards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
“He’s the only running back I ever saw who could take those two-hundred-pound linebackers out, I mean take ’em out.”
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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.
