quarterback
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
to direct the offense of (a team).
-
to lead or direct.
to quarterback a public-relations campaign.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a player in American or Canadian football, positioned usually behind the centre, who directs attacking play
-
wisdom after the event, esp by spectators
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of quarterback
Explanation
In American football, the quarterback is in charge of the team's offense. When football players huddle in a circle to plan their plays, the quarterback usually decides which strategy to use. In many ways, a quarterback is a team's leader, although ultimately the coach is in charge. When an NFL team wins the Super Bowl, the quarterback accepts the winning trophy. As a verb, to quarterback either means, literally, to play the position of quarterback, or to lead a team or project: "The teacher asked me to quarterback the class Halloween party." Quarterback comes from the starting field position, between the center and the halfback.
Vocabulary lists containing quarterback
Set, Hut! Football Vocabulary
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American Football, 1st Quarter
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February Vocabulary Words
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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:
So call it a quiet, workmanlike beginning for the 13th player taken in the NFL draft, a quarterback the Rams ostensibly chose to become Matthew Stafford’s heir apparent.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
“And I think anybody enjoys playing with a quarterback who competes, who’s going to throw it all in there, and that’s the mentality he has. ... That’s something that’s been kind of his calling card.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
Cam Newton, the former Carolina Panthers quarterback who made regular appearances on ESPN’s “First Take,” was also let go.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
To focus on baseball, Roch gave up a scholarship offer to play quarterback at Notre Dame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Two Mills won the game, thanks to a last-minute 73-yard TD pass from quarterback Denehy to James “Hands” Down.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
And those legendary quarterbacks were still chasing their sport’s greatest prizes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
His numbers dropped off last season, though, as the Browns cycled through five different quarterbacks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Horrible idea. A football team with two starting quarterbacks does not have a starting quarterback. The same can be said for two co-presidents.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
He also co-founded an Orlando 7-on-7 organization, a low-contact version of football that spotlights top position players, such as quarterbacks and receivers, and has become integral to college recruiting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
He played tackle on offense and linebacker on defense, and opposing quarterbacks ran from him like scared rabbits.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
