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

The simple industrial design gets a neat little accent in the form of a physical knob for adjusting playback, track navigation, and volume. — New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026

Both versions add Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB-C, a microSD card slot, FLAC playback, and more. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 14 Oct. 2026

Verb

Plus, the Bills are playing back-to-back games out west in the Pacific Time Zone. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

But players’ participation in a brawl following a close loss 670 miles away in Georgia last weekend has dashed their hopes of postseason play back at home. — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 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)