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Glite Dictionary
tackler

tackler

7 3.1
A player in American football who stops an opponent with the ball by making them fall
  • noun
  • /ˈtæklər/
translation icon : tacleador
  • The tackler successfully brought down the ball carrier before he could gain any additional yards.
  • the leading tackler
  • top tackler
  • good tackler

Examples

  • Bounces off one tackler and breaks free.

    Radio (2003)

  • Prater was the leading tackler for the Owls and started his career at LSU.

    Blog text (7)

  • Once again, Lee is the Cowboys' leading tackler this season, and it's not even close.

    Blog text (4)

  • The way the Cardinals make up for this is by being sure tacklers.

    Blog text (3)

  • Both are sure tacklers who have the speed and tackling ability to take down any opposing quarterback.

    Blog text (13)

  • Davis is finally helped to his feet by All-American tackler Jack Buckley.

    The Express (2008)

  • He's the best tackler I've seen since Joe Montana.

    The Waterboy (1998)

  • With the twos, he definitely was the leading tackler, and he was very proficient in pass coverage on the slots.

    Blog text (29)

  • He's supposedly one of the defense's best tacklers and is physical around the line of scrimmage.

    Blog text (28)

  • Davis spins at the line of scrimmage where he's met by a host of West Virginia tacklers.

    The Express (2008)

Synonyms

linebacker
vstackler
  • US
111 5.5

A defensive player in American football who stands behind the line to stop running plays and defend passes

is the general player whose job is to stop ball carriers or opponents
sacker
vstackler
  • US
1 7.2

A player who tackles the opposing quarterback behind the line

focuses on stopping any ball carrier or opponent across the field

Surface Forms

tackler singular
tacklers plural

Morphology

tackler = tackle (transparent) = tackle + er

Agentive suffix '-er' added to the verb 'tackle' yields 'one who tackles', a straightforward derivation.

Etymology

Tackler comes from tackle, which was once the name for the ropes and tools on a ship used to 'hold' or control things. Over time tackle came to mean 'to take hold of' someone, so a tackler is a player who takes hold of or stops the other player with the ball.