playmaker

noun

play·​mak·​er ˈplā-ˌmā-kər 

: a player who leads the offense for a team (as in basketball or hockey)

playmaking

ˈplā-ˌmā-kiŋ 

noun or adjective

Examples of playmaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Lakers were connected, apparently having had time to adjust to the loss of their two leading scorers, LeBron James acting as a brilliant playmaker for scorching hot shooters like Kennard, who hit all five of his treys in scoring a career playoff-high 27 points. —Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026

The Loons didn’t need the Colombian playmaker to come off the bench and provide a goal Saturday. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026

Rodriguez is a smart, anticipatory playmaker whose best trait is seeing the game a beat ahead of everyone else. —Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026

More than half of the Bulldogs' 2025 starting lineup will be suiting up in red and black in the fall, including quarterback Gunner Stockton, both halves of Georgia's dynamic running back tandem, and defensive playmakers like KJ Bolden and Raylen Wilson. —CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for playmaker

• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker
• icebreaker
• lawmaker
• matchmaker
• pacemaker
• partaker
• peacemaker