as in commentary
a series of explanations or observations on something (as an event)
on Monday mornings she usually gives her coworkers a detailed play-by-play on how her weekend date went
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play-by-play
Noun
-
While this moment might offer a commentary on the weird plenty of the marketplace, Anna senses her father is lost an increasing haze and intervenes.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2026 -
Analysts have cited Night of the Living Dead as a subversive commentary on the Vietnam War, which was raging at the time of the film's release.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
According to a 2025 market analysis conducted by OfferUp, a mobile marketplace app, 69% of shoppers turn to secondhand when the economy gets shaky.—
Mari Sato The Dallas Morning News,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Such an analysis would examine park-wide parking capacity, neighborhood spillover, seasonal and weekend use, and coordination with transit and shuttle operations.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Play-by-play.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play-by-play. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
