1
: the offensive football back farthest from the line of scrimmage
2
British
: a line of vehicles caused by a traffic slowdown or stoppage
Examples of tailback in a Sentence
stuck in a five-mile tailback on the southbound carriageway
Recent Examples on the Web
Amid a sea of new faces on offense is returning tailback Henry Rutledge, who saw just two carries last season before being sidelined with injury.
—
Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
The 20-year-old transfer set aside NFL aspirations to reunite with offensive coordinator Buster Faulker, some former teammates from Georgia Tech and even a couple of Gators from Singleton’s youth football days in Atlanta, including star tailback Jadan Baugh.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Truth is, interested teams will likely make pitches to the Dolphins to take the speedy, but small, talented tailback off Miami’s hands.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Auburn loaded up at running back, with Washington (788 yards at Baylor in 2025) among three new tailbacks who ran for over 600 yards last season.
—Manny Navarro, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
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Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026
The 20-year-old transfer set aside NFL aspirations to reunite with offensive coordinator Buster Faulker, some former teammates from Georgia Tech and even a couple of Gators from Singleton’s youth football days in Atlanta, including star tailback Jadan Baugh.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 2026
Truth is, interested teams will likely make pitches to the Dolphins to take the speedy, but small, talented tailback off Miami’s hands.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
Auburn loaded up at running back, with Washington (788 yards at Baylor in 2025) among three new tailbacks who ran for over 600 yards last season.
—Manny Navarro, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tailback
Cite this Entry
“Tailback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tailback. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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