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
: 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
J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Patriots fans voiced confidence that Vrabel, in his first year as head coach, and MVP-contending quarterback Drake Maye, would do enough against the Chargers to move on to next week’s Divisional Round.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Pat Gallen, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
The Chargers let Patriots quarterback Drake Maye loose on a 37-yard scramble late in the first half.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quarterback
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Noun
But with his broadcast duties, the Hall of Fame quarterback has been more of a pitchman and advisor than hands-on architect.
—Verb
More importantly, does quarterback Jalen Hurts want to see Patullo return?
—Cite this Entry
“Quarterback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quarterback. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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