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

But during playback, the scene didn’t work for Chu or Brooks. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025

With adaptive noise cancelling that adjusts to your surroundings and up to 60 hours of playback, they’re built for long flights, work sessions, or back-to-back playlists. —PC Magazine, 22 Nov. 2025

Verb

Home video footage of a boisterous wedding party defies the atmosphere of stasis and decay; a shot of several burly men awkwardly steering coffin down a tight stairwell plays back into it. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Nov. 2025

What has surprised you most watching the show play back on TV? —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Nov. 2025

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)