playback

1 of 2

noun

play·​back ˈplā-ˌbak How to pronounce playback (audio)
: an act or instance of reproducing recorded sound or pictures often immediately after recording

play back

2 of 2

verb

played back; playing back; plays back

transitive verb

: to perform a playback of (a usually recently recorded disc or tape)

Examples of playback in a Sentence

Noun The band listened to a playback of their first recording.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Performance improves further if the memory for the sequence is reactivated during slow-wave sleep—by, say, a playback of tones the person listened to while learning each finger movement. Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024 This includes gesture recognition, music playback, voice cloning cues, and sending specific parameters back to ComfyUI for dynamic adjustments. Charlie Fink, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 Beyond health, smart shoes can offer interactive features tailored for musicians, like controlling music playback or effects with foot gestures during performances, merging health benefits with professional utility in a stylish, innovative package. Jahan Marcu, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2024 This starter set also comes with flashcards and has support for recorded playback so children can record themselves reading. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 20 Feb. 2024 Its bass is quite solid for a speaker of this size and its array of tweeters make for crisp playback. Brad Moon, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 The touch panel on the right manages playback (single taps), track navigation (double taps for forward, triple taps for backward), and voice assistant access (long presses). PCMAG, 5 Feb. 2024 Ad-free videos have been getting the most aggressive promotion lately, with Google cracking down on ad-block users by blocking video playback and displaying interstitial pop-ups. Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 2 Feb. 2024 Yet, more is required to solve the core problem of structuring and addressing a massive aleatory musical composition in a live playback setting, such as a video game. Kyle Russell, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024
Verb
Coaching provides the space to have open conversations with an objective coach, think out loud, play back situations and clarify challenges. Carol Sabia, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The excerpt takes a long look at the services that are popping up as part of the new digital afterlife industry: Some companies offer to send out messages on your behalf after your demise, others enable you to record stories that others can later play back by asking questions. IEEE Spectrum, 27 Dec. 2023 They would be played back to back with no spectators and limited media. Gerald Marzorati, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2024 Nvidia's demonstration of G-Sync Pulsar, using Counter-Strike 2 filmed at 1000 fps, on a 360 Hz monitor, with Pulsar on and off, played back at 1/24 speed. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 9 Jan. 2024 Friday's final part of the Sister Wives Talk Back special played back some of the highs and lows of season 18. Dory Jackson, Peoplemag, 30 Dec. 2023 Gypsy Rose Blanchard has spent eight years in prison, at times playing back the events of June 2015 in her mind over and over again. Janine Rubenstein, Peoplemag, 27 Dec. 2023 Before playing back a video, it first must be created. Steve McDowell, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 The Ultra can play back content locally from a USB drive, such as a flash drive or external hard drive. Geoffrey Morrison, wsj.com, 9 Nov. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1929, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of playback was in 1929

Dictionary Entries Near playback

Cite this Entry

“Playback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playback. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

playback

1 of 2 noun
play·​back ˈplā-ˌbak How to pronounce playback (audio)
: the action of reproducing recorded sound or pictures often immediately after recording

play back

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)plā-ˈbak
: to perform a playback of (a disc or tape)

More from Merriam-Webster on playback

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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