play-by-play

Definition of play-by-playnext
as in commentary
a series of explanations or observations on something (as an event) on Monday mornings she usually gives her coworkers a detailed play-by-play on how her weekend date went

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for play-by-play
Noun
  • During this match, commentary announced that Nigel McGuinness suffered an injury against Shibata, and AEW will update his status in the Continental Challenge Cup on Monday.
    Rob Wolkenbrod, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Sure, that’s commentary on the options from a 20-12 loss to the Rams in the two teams’ preseason openers that featured a laundry list of prominent absences.
    Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 16 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The number of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz rose 27% in the past week, according to a CNN analysis of figures from the UK Maritime Trade Operations center (UKMTO), which recorded 103 entering and 89 leaving.
    Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • No responsible analysis should claim that a single flood or drought was caused by climate change without attribution science.
    Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Play-by-play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play-by-play. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!