playback

1 of 2

noun

play·​back ˈplā-ˌbak 

: 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

First introduced in the Grandioso T1 turntable, the patented Esoteric MagneDrive System was designed to redefine the foundations of analog playback through exclusive contact-free drive technology. — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Battery life is also a strong point, with up to 12 hours of video playback on a single charge. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

The Magic’s 2026-27 schedule has its share of challenges, including 14 times when the team must play back-to-back games. — Kathy Laughlin, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026

But Aces head coach Becky Hammon had a starting five nobody expected, and it could be viewed as a protest for having to play back-to-back games on the road this weekend. — Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1929, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for playback

• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback

Kids Definition

playback

1 of 2 noun

play·​back ˈplā-ˌbak 

: 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)