end run

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The term "end run" has a couple of meanings, but we'll start with the one related to American football, as you suggested.

Definition:

1. In American Football: An "end run" is a play where a player has the ball and tries to run around the end of the offensive line to gain yardage. Instead of going straight through the middle of the defense, the player runs to the side (the "end") to avoid defenders.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "end run" when talking about football strategies or plays. It’s mostly used in a sports context.

Example:

• "The quarterback called for an end run to get around the defensive line."

Advanced Usage:

• In a broader sense, "end run" can also be used metaphorically in business or politics to describe a way of achieving something by going around obstacles or avoiding direct confrontation. For example:
  • "The company took an end run around the regulations by finding a loophole."

Word Variants:

• The term is primarily used as a noun ("end run"). There aren’t many direct variants, but you might see it in different contexts, such as "end-running" when used as a verb form in the metaphorical sense.

Different Meanings:

• As mentioned, in football, it specifically refers to a type of play. In a non-sporting context, it can mean circumventing rules or challenges.

Synonyms:

• For the football context, you might not find exact synonyms, but related terms could include "sweep" or "run to the outside."
• In the metaphorical sense, synonyms could be: "bypass," "evade," "sidestep," or "circumvent."

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There aren't specific idioms or phrasal verbs that directly relate to "end run," but you might come across phrases like "go around" or "get around" when discussing the metaphorical meaning.

Summary:

• End Run (noun): A football play running around the end of the line; can also mean to circumvent obstacles in a non-sporting context.

Academic

Noun

1. (American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running around the end of the line

Synonyms

• sweep