the red zone

noun

American football
: the area of the field that is inside an opponent's 20-yard line

Examples of the red zone in a Sentence

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Both of his runs of 30-plus yards — the 36-yard scamper on the opening drive and a 38-yard run early in the second quarter — put North Miami Beach into the red zone. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 Early in the second quarter, while driving toward the red zone, Klubnik threw an interception to Zaire Barnes while trying to get the ball to tight end Jelani Woods in tight coverage. Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 29 Aug. 2026 One of those key decisions came in the red zone late in the third quarter when TCU turned down a chance at a field goal facing fourth-and-1. Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026 The mascots left tracks throughout the red zone, and the team was assessed a 15-yard penalty because of their noncompliance with the officials. Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for the red zone

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Cite this Entry

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

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