Meaning & use
tailback
A long line of traffic stretching back from an obstruction, accident, or junction on a road.
See it in a sentence
A tailback of several miles built up after the accident closed two lanes of the motorway.
Radio reports warned drivers of a tailback near the bridge during rush hour.
A note on using this word
This traffic sense is mainly British English; in American football, tailback instead names a running back positioned behind the quarterback.
Words with a similar meaning
traffic jambackup
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
In American football, a running back who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage.
The tailback broke through the line and sprinted forty yards for a touchdown.
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