playing time
noun
: the amount of time that a team member is allowed to play during a game
Her teammates were complaining about their lack of playing time.
Examples of playing time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Many felt Thibodeau, who was the Knicks' head coach for the previous five seasons, was stuck in the NBA of the 1990s with his slowdown offense and refusal to give bench players more than a perfunctory amount of playing time.
—
Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Here is my Monday piece with notes and nuggets by position, and details on changes in playing time.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Third-year defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike has seen a major uptick in playing time this season and is putting together a quietly strong year.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025
Mix in front-office executives assuring playing time to certain players, regardless of performance, and turmoil in the clubhouse could have easily brewed — and justifiably so.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playing time
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Here is my Monday piece with notes and nuggets by position, and details on changes in playing time.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Third-year defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike has seen a major uptick in playing time this season and is putting together a quietly strong year.
—Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025
Mix in front-office executives assuring playing time to certain players, regardless of performance, and turmoil in the clubhouse could have easily brewed — and justifiably so.
—Katie Woo, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for playing time
Cite this Entry
“Playing time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/playing%20time. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share