runback
Americannoun
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Football.
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a run made by a player toward the goal line of the opponents after receiving a kick, intercepting a pass, or recovering an opponent's fumble.
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the distance covered in making such a run.
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Tennis. the space on a tennis court between the base line and the backstop.
Etymology
Origin of runback
First recorded in 1905–10; noun use of verb phrase run back
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.
That’s to say failure is never an option for the 26-year-old Berrios, who leads the NFL in kick return average with 28.9 yards per runback — helped by a 79-yard return last Sunday against Philadelphia.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 10, 2021
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Jameson Williams opened the game with a 100-yard kickoff return, then added an 81-yard touchdown catch and another 83-yard runback in Alabama’s rout.
From Washington Post • Sep. 25, 2021
I mean, how often to you get a decent runback anyway?
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2021
But Mariano Sori-Marin was called for unnecessary roughness during the runback.
From Fox News • Nov. 13, 2020
Pomeroy's ball on Grinnell's forty yard line and Mack Carver's brilliant runback of the initial kick-off reduced to naught!
From Interference and Other Football Stories by Sherman, Harold Morrow
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.
