special team

American

noun

Football. a group of players fielded for kicking plays, as punts, kickoffs, and field-goal attempts.

special team British

noun

American football any of several predetermined permutations of the players within a team that play in situations, such as kickoffs and attempts at field goals, where the standard offensive and defensive formations are not appropriate

"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

Other Word Forms

special-team adjective
special-teams adjective

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.

Prosecutors in Paris on Saturday said they would re-examine the case of Brunel and set up a special team to analyze evidence that could implicate French nationals in the Epstein case.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

It turns out, and not for the first time with this unusually special team, Pelinka was right and I was wrong.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2025

Vrbo transferred me to a special team that took care of everything quickly.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2024

Rejecting their plea, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said there were "no grounds" for the investigation to be transferred to a special team and directed Sebi to complete its investigation in a timely manner.

From BBC • Jan. 3, 2024

“How does it feel to be on a team with your very special team member?” she asked.

From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023