Monday morning quarterback

American  

noun

Informal.

1. a person who criticizes the actions or decisions of others after the fact, using hindsight to assess situations and specify alternative solutions.

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Monday morning quarterback British  

noun

1. informal a person who criticizes or suggests alternative courses of action from a position of hindsight after the event in question

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Monday-morning quarterback Idioms  

1. A person who criticizes or passes judgment from a position of hindsight, as in Ethel was a Monday-morning quarterback about all the personnel changes in her department—she always claimed to have known what was going to happen. This expression, first recorded in 1932, alludes to fans who verbally “replay” Sunday's football game the next day, the quarterback being the team member who calls the plays.

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Other Word Forms

• Monday morning quarterbacking noun

Etymology

Origin of Monday morning quarterback

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Therapy may help you with this Monday morning quarterback.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 10, 2025

“In retrospect, as the famous Monday morning quarterback, I’d say it was a bum deal,” Moretta said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2021

"One doesn't want to be a Monday morning quarterback on that," he said.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2020

“If you’re playing Monday morning quarterback, you say why don’t you run the clock out and then score,” Luck said.

From Washington Times • Sep. 11, 2016

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said it's easy for critics to "play Monday morning quarterback" on the training program's slow progress.

From US News • Sep. 16, 2015