linebacker

[lahyn-bak-er]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Football.

a player on defense who takes a position close behind the linemen.
the position played by this player.

linebacker

/ ˈ��ɪ��ˌ��æ��ə /

noun

a defensive player in American or Canadian football who is positioned just behind the line of scrimmage

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Word History and Origins

Origin of linebacker¹

First recorded in 1960–65; line ¹ + backer

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Ray Lewis played 17 years in the NFL, and he was out there playing linebacker every Sunday.

From

Schwesinger earned a scholarship before the 2022 season and became a part of the rotation at linebacker for the next two seasons.

From

The Commanders grab an old-school middle linebacker to help solidify the interior of their defense.

From

At least one of those additions is likely to come at linebacker, where the Trojans’ depth is most threadbare.

From

This will be the first season that linebacker JonJon Vaughns has participated in spring practice after giving up his role as a corner outfielder and relief pitcher on the baseball team.

From

lineation line block

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