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Synonyms

quarterback

American  
[kwawr-ter-bak] / ˈkwɔr tərˌbæk /

noun

  1. a back in football who usually lines up immediately behind the center and directs the offense of the team.

  2. the position played by this back.

  3. a person who leads or directs a group or activity.

verb (used with object)

  1. to direct the offense of (a team).

  2. to lead or direct.

    to quarterback a public-relations campaign.

verb (used without object)

  1. to play the position of quarterback.

quarterback British  
/ ˈkwɔːtəˌbæk /

noun

  1. a player in American or Canadian football, positioned usually behind the centre, who directs attacking play

  2. wisdom after the event, esp by spectators

"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 quarterback

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80; quarter + back 1

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.

Seattle trailed 12-7 when quarterback Russell Wilson unleashed a desperate heave to the end zone in the final seconds.

From The Wall Street Journal

This can involve commercials for local businesses — like a car dealership paying a quarterback or providing a car — or generating income through social media based on follower size.

From MarketWatch

Adding the greatest quarterback of all time would only boost those numbers.

From Los Angeles Times

Sure, it’s a quarterback’s league, but a major focus of the upcoming NFL draft will be about getting to the quarterback.

From Los Angeles Times

Originally recruited to Oklahoma State University as a pitcher, third baseman and a football quarterback, McLean is extraordinarily talented and widely viewed as one of the sport’s most dynamic young arms.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.