play-action pass

noun

play-ac·tion pass

: a pass play in football in which the quarterback fakes a handoff before passing the ball

called also play-action

Examples of play-action pass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Harbaugh said during his introductory news conference last week that protecting Herbert, beefing up the running game and honing the play-action pass game would be early priorities. —

Joe Reedy, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2024 And that leaves the secondary exposed to a play-action pass. —

Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2024 Causing hesitancy that puts defenders in bad positions, the 49ers pose a bewildering array of potential runs and play-action passes. —

Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2023 Midway through the second quarter, Wilson opened a drive from the Jets’ 32-yard line by finding Garrett Wilson, the 2022 offensive rookie of the year, on a play-action pass. —

Ken Belson, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for play-action pass

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play-action pass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of play-action pass was in 1963

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Play-action pass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play-action%20pass. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.

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