tailback

American  

[tayl-bak] / ˈteɪlˌbæk /

noun

Football.

1. the offensive back who lines up farthest behind the line of scrimmage, as in a single wingback or double wingback formation.

2. the position played by this back.

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tailback British  

/ ˈteɪlˌbæk /

noun

1. a queue of traffic stretching back from an obstruction

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Etymology

Origin of tailback

First recorded in 1935–40; tail ¹ + back ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tailback

Streatfeild’s inspiration was her sister Sterling, who was a tailback and free safety and now attends Vanderbilt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

And before Thursday, their only previous trip to the Rose Bowl had come in 1967 when they were run over by a USC tailback named O.J.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

Los Alamitos avoided a second-half goose egg thanks to a 45-yard touchdown run from the 5-foot-11 tailback.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2025

Interim coach Terrence Whitehead, a former City player of the year for Crenshaw in 2001 and former Oregon Ducks tailback, took the reins of the offense and day-to-day operations of the program.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2025

Then Don Billingsley, the starting tailback for the Permian Panthers, got the ball on a pitch.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

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Related Words

• fullback
• halfback

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