tailback

noun

tail·​back ˈtāl-ˌbak 

1

: the offensive football back farthest from the line of scrimmage

2

British : a line of vehicles caused by a traffic slowdown or stoppage

Synonyms of tailback

• jam
• congestion
• bottleneck
• snarl

Examples of tailback in a Sentence

stuck in a five-mile tailback on the southbound carriageway

Recent Examples on the Web

Russian assaults since Thursday have forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv's six road bridges, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks in the Ukrainian capital. — Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026

Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II are the only tailbacks on the 53-man roster. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026

Russian assaults since Thursday have forced the full or partial closure of three of Kyiv’s six road bridges, suspending traffic and causing tailbacks in Moscow’s latest effort to disrupt life in the Ukrainian capital. — Susie Blann, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026

The Terrapins did play without their two top tailbacks and finished with just 39 rushing yards. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tailback

• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback