quar·ter·back
ˈkwȯ(r)-tər-ˌbak 
1
: an offensive back in football who usually lines up behind the center, calls the signals, and directs the offensive play of the team
2
: one who directs and leads
quarterbacked; quarterbacking; quarterbacks
1
: to direct the offensive play of
quarterback a football team
2
: to give executive direction to : boss
… quarterbacked the original buying syndicate.—
Time
Time
: to play quarterback
Examples of quarterback in a Sentence
Verb
He quarterbacked his high school team.
She quarterbacked the company's latest ad campaign.
Recent Examples on the Web
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Apr. 2026
This once again leaves Miami’s from its signing classes — in this case Judd Anderson, Nickel and Coleman — tasked with waiting their turn and competing among themselves to be the new backup quarterback.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
His greatest success came in 2022 when Cousins quarterbacked the Vikings to a 13-4 record.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quarterback
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Noun
The denial comes in the aftermath of judges in Mississippi recently granting an injunction to allow Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to play a sixth year in a similar case.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Apr. 2026
This once again leaves Miami’s from its signing classes — in this case Judd Anderson, Nickel and Coleman — tasked with waiting their turn and competing among themselves to be the new backup quarterback.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
The litigation ran on for around five years, with the campaign on the family’s side quarterbacked by Beate Arnold, a consultant who had formerly run IT operations for Glock.
—Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
His greatest success came in 2022 when Cousins quarterbacked the Vikings to a 13-4 record.
—CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quarterback
Cite this Entry
“Quarterback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarterback. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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