red zone

noun

: the area of a football field inside an opponent's 20-yard line

Examples of red zone 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.
Kansas City started in Seattle territory after a 57-yard kickoff return by Brashard Smith, but the drive stalled on a holding penalty in the Seattle red zone. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 Jackson and wide receiver Rashod Bateman had a miscommunication that resulted in an incompletion on the first play of the seven-on-seven red zone session. — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 On third-and-10 near Tampa Bay’s red zone, Fields scrambled for 15 yards, but three plays later, some indecisiveness led to a 20-yard sack, turning a 24-yard field goal into a 45-yarder. — Kansas City Star, 23 Aug. 2026 McMillan set the Panthers’ rookie receiving yards record in a single season; his 6-foot-5, 212-pound frame provided Young with a red zone threat and intermediate threat that the Panthers desperately needed. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for red zone

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of red zone was in 1972

Rhymes for red zone

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Browse Nearby Words

red zinc ore
red zone
ree
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Cite this Entry

“Red zone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20zone. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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