: an act or instance of reproducing recorded sound or pictures often immediately after recording
played back; playing back; plays back
: 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
Mark Knapp, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Amelie Arena was scheduled to host the playback on April 14.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2024
There are also musings that the smart ring will offer media playback controls.
—Florence Ion / Gizmodo, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
Apart from being bad for music playback control, the Sonos app is full of features and easy to use.
—Prakhar Khanna, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The Evo 150 is a full-function device that lets listeners tune in to internet radio or enjoy music-streaming services, and Bluetooth aptX HD enables hi-res playback to and from compatible devices.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024
Sample Alchemy takes a single sample as input and turns it into an instrument using your choice of granular, additive, or spectral synthesis, up to four individual sound sources, and five playback options (Classic, Loop, Bow, Scrub, and Arp).
—PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024
Its tonearm appears identical, too, though is much improved, as is the available Ortofon SPU moving-coil cartridge that brings so much life—with force and impact—to LP playback.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
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
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
Apple also added accessibility enhancements, such as letting the program announce the playhead position when recording, playing back, and scrubbing audio.
—PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024
The two went back and forth on their differing opinions regarding the details of their final date, to the point producers had to play back parts of the footage.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
In Rahman’s testing, an 8-bit 4K 60fps video played back at under 10fps with the current software AV1 decoder, but that shot up to over 50fps when switching to libdav1d.
—Paul Monckton, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
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
Noun
Your real-world results will depend on your typical playback volume and codec choice.
—Mark Knapp, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
Amelie Arena was scheduled to host the playback on April 14.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 2 Apr. 2024
There are also musings that the smart ring will offer media playback controls.
—Florence Ion / Gizmodo, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
Apart from being bad for music playback control, the Sonos app is full of features and easy to use.
—Prakhar Khanna, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The Evo 150 is a full-function device that lets listeners tune in to internet radio or enjoy music-streaming services, and Bluetooth aptX HD enables hi-res playback to and from compatible devices.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024
Sample Alchemy takes a single sample as input and turns it into an instrument using your choice of granular, additive, or spectral synthesis, up to four individual sound sources, and five playback options (Classic, Loop, Bow, Scrub, and Arp).
—PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024
Its tonearm appears identical, too, though is much improved, as is the available Ortofon SPU moving-coil cartridge that brings so much life—with force and impact—to LP playback.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
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
Verb
Audiophiles can play back hi-res WAV and FLAC music files.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
Apple also added accessibility enhancements, such as letting the program announce the playhead position when recording, playing back, and scrubbing audio.
—PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024
The two went back and forth on their differing opinions regarding the details of their final date, to the point producers had to play back parts of the footage.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
In Rahman’s testing, an 8-bit 4K 60fps video played back at under 10fps with the current software AV1 decoder, but that shot up to over 50fps when switching to libdav1d.
—Paul Monckton, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
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
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.
Dictionary Entries Near playback
Cite this Entry
“Playback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playback. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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)
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