playmaker

American  

[pley-mey-ker] / ˈpleɪˌmeɪ kər /

noun

Sports.

1. an offensive player, as in basketball or ice hockey, who executes plays designed to put one or more teammates in a position to score.

2. Archaic. a playwright; dramatist.

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playmaker British  

/ ˈpleɪˌmeɪkə /

noun

1. sport a player whose role is to create scoring opportunities for his or her team-mates

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Other Word Forms

• playmaking noun

Etymology

Origin of playmaker

First recorded in 1520–30; play + maker

Example Sentences

While historically great Hurricane squads featured explosive offenses and spectacular playmakers, this one—coached by former Miami lineman Mario Cristobal—is defined by muscular play in the trenches and a sack-happy defensive line.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Bigs can’t feed themselves and I just try my best to do what I can to bring effort. And I trust my playmakers out there to find me.”

From Los Angeles Times

Cherki is fast emerging as City's most influential playmaker in his first season in Manchester following a summer move from Lyon.

From Barron's

Any absence would be particularly notable given the Portuguese playmaker's remarkable availability record since joining from Sporting in January 2020.

From BBC

It looked set to be a long night for Comoros when Morocco won a penalty in the 10th minute as playmaker Diaz was tripped inside the box by Iyad Mohamed.

From Barron's