chop block

noun

American football
: a dangerous and illegal block aimed at the legs and especially knees of another player
Smith is probably the victim of more chop blocks than any defender in the league.Rick Telander
chop-block transitive verb
chop-blocked; chop-blocking; chop-blocks
Early in the fourth quarter of Kansas City's 26-10 win over Denver … Chiefs defensive tackle Chester McGlockton became enraged after being chop-blocked by Lepsis. Michael Silver

Examples of chop block in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Bears had only six penalties for 33 yards, but between the Dexter call and a chop block on Swift in the end zone that resulted in a safety, penalties led to six points. Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024 First with a chop block penalty that negated a good run, then a false start that put them in a challenging second and 21 situation. Jim Martinez, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Oct. 2021 Western Kentucky drove to UTSA’s 5-yard line before being backed up to the 20 by a chop block penalty. Greg Luca, San Antonio Express-News, 10 Oct. 2021 Like a true heel, Theory won this match with a combination of a ref bump, a low blow, a chop block and his A-Town Down finisher. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2023 That was compounded by a chop block penalty giving the Saints starting field possession on the Las Vegas 27. Brett Martel, BostonGlobe.com, 30 Oct. 2022 The Chiefs drove inside the 10 but had a touchdown negated by a chop block and then Harrison Butker missed a 39-yard field goal try. Josh Dubow, ajc, 24 Oct. 2022 The Hoosiers drove to the Rutgers 33 on their second possession, but then pushed themselves back with chop block and false start penalties and had to punt from the Scarlet Knights 46. Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Oct. 2022 Right guard Michael Furtney was called for a chop block. Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chop block was in 1954

Dictionary Entries Near chop block

Cite this Entry

“Chop block.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chop%20block. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!