halfback
noun
half·back ˈhaf-ˌbak 
ˈhäf-
1
: one of the backs stationed near either flank in football
2
: a player stationed immediately behind the forward line (as in field hockey, soccer, or rugby)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The exploits of the halfback and safety (and punter and kicker and sometimes quarterback) from 1916-19 essentially built Ohio Stadium, triggering a fervor that sustains to this year’s ongoing celebration of the stadium’s 100th anniversary. 
Nathan Baird, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2022 Quarterback Cole Hodge and halfback Gavin Copenhaver will carry the weight, but who will emerge as Hodge's top target? The Courier-Journal, 9 Aug. 2022 All-Big Ten honors twice as a halfback in 1958 and 1960, then became a first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers and switched to defensive back and was a five-time All-Pro. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 12 July 2022 Samuel lines up at split end, flanker, slot, halfback and any other position 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan can dream up. Tom Silverstein, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2022 The first recipient was Fred Gehrke, the Rams halfback who devised the idea of a helmet logo in 1948. San Francisco Chronicle, 26 May 2022 The 6-2, 238-pound Okonkwo’s ability to block and line up as a halfback fits the Ravens’ run-heavy scheme. Ryan Mcfadden, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2022 Chosen by the 49ers with the eighth pick in the 1962 NFL Draft, Lance Alworth was an offensive and defensive halfback for the Razorbacks. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 25 Apr. 2022 The Browns’ very first third-round pick in the NFL Draft was a halfback named Jimmy Joe Robinson. Scott Patsko, cleveland, 21 Apr. 2022 See More
Nathan Baird, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2022 Quarterback Cole Hodge and halfback Gavin Copenhaver will carry the weight, but who will emerge as Hodge's top target? The Courier-Journal, 9 Aug. 2022 All-Big Ten honors twice as a halfback in 1958 and 1960, then became a first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers and switched to defensive back and was a five-time All-Pro. Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, 12 July 2022 Samuel lines up at split end, flanker, slot, halfback and any other position 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan can dream up. Tom Silverstein, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2022 The first recipient was Fred Gehrke, the Rams halfback who devised the idea of a helmet logo in 1948. San Francisco Chronicle, 26 May 2022 The 6-2, 238-pound Okonkwo’s ability to block and line up as a halfback fits the Ravens’ run-heavy scheme. Ryan Mcfadden, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2022 Chosen by the 49ers with the eighth pick in the 1962 NFL Draft, Lance Alworth was an offensive and defensive halfback for the Razorbacks. Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 25 Apr. 2022 The Browns’ very first third-round pick in the NFL Draft was a halfback named Jimmy Joe Robinson. Scott Patsko, cleveland, 21 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
halfback
noun
half·back ˈhaf-ˌbak
ˈhäf-
1
: a football player who runs with the ball and blocks
2
: a player positioned behind the forward line in some games (as soccer)