How to Use first-string in a Sentence

first-string

adjective
  • No position proved more of a turnstile in camp than first-string left guard.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Robert Jones replaced Connor Colby as the first-string left guard the past two practices.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Perkins has worked with the second-team defense and saw a snap with the first-string unit as well, aligning over the center’s right shoulder in a pass-rushing look.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 20 June 2026
  • There was a moment Tuesday morning during walk-throughs when Barron lined up as first-string nickel.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Height continues to rotate on the first-string unit with Keion White and Sam Okuayinonu.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 July 2026
  • Jones has been the first-string left guard since the 49ers moved Connor Colby to the second string after a week of practices.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • That is an obvious but nevertheless tempting play with Burrow and the first-string offense in action.
    — Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Defensively, the Falcons played much of their first-string front seven, or at least rotational players, throughout the first half.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Burrow and the first-string offensive line played two series, with the franchise quarterback going 5 of 6 for 39 yards.
    — CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Most importantly, many defensive special-teams rushers are first-string players, whereas the blockers tend to be second- and third-string players.
    — J.j. Bailey, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Friday night was redemptive for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers’ first-string offense.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Tustin’s first-string defense was just as overwhelming, holding the Vanguards to negative-16 yards in the first half while the offense built a 48-0 lead.
    — Dan Arritt, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Sigle and Ji’Ayir Brown have been the first-string safety tandem since Malik Mustapha injured a hamstring in camp’s second practice.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The veteran safety, one of only two first-string defensive backs to start and finish the game Sunday, sat alone in his locker still draped in nearly all his game attire, minus the jersey and shoulder pads.
    — Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Thus, Marques Sigle and Ji’Ayir Brown worked as Wednesday’s first-string safeties, although all three of those players have been rotating this camp.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 July 2026
  • If the coach wanted this year’s QB ti be a rusher, like Leonard, (and take plays from Love and Price), why not use Minchey as the first-string QB instead?
    — Pete Sampson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
  • With Hollins and Boutte absent and Brown still on the Eagles, Doubs, Williams, Chism and Douglas received most of the first-string work at wide receiver.
    — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 May 2026
  • And when coaches couldn’t decide who was worthy of first-string reps, former Ravenwood head coach Will Hester, who has since retired, and Rodriguez, the offensive coordinator at the time, approached the two about a plan to share series evenly.
    — Grace Raynor, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Against the Chargers’ first-string defense and with both Brock Purdy and Mac Jones, Stribling looked like someone who can be an immediate impact player for the Niners in Year 1.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • If Willis works with the first-string offensive line as expected, he’ll at times be matched up against Chargers interior defensive linemen Teair Tart, Dalvin Tomlinson, Jamaree Caldwell and Justin Eboigbe.
    — Matt Barrows, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • On a rest day for Bo Nix and much of the Broncos’ first-string crew, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, and a few key depth pieces, led the Broncos to a 27-7 beatdown of the Cardinals at Empower Field on Saturday night.
    — Luca Evans, Denver Post, 17 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'first-string.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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