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

Under the hood, the MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor with 8GB RAM handles common tasks like Chrome browsing, Google Docs, and video playback without issue. —Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2026

Battery life is rated at up to five hours of continuous recording, extending further to around 25 hours with the case, or 40 hours for audio playback. —New Atlas, 31 Mar. 2026

Verb

Anyone who saw the Hornets play back then knows that’s not true. —Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2026

Former Celtics center Al Horford was scheduled to play back at TD Garden for the first time this week, but an injury will prevent him from doing so. —Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1929, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for playback

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

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)