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

Menu and playback controls sit in the middle, with volume and channel rockers below them. —PCMAG, 20 Mar. 2025

Season-to-date, Grosse Pointe Garden Society is averaging just 1.85 million weekly viewers (with Live+7 playback), demonstrating just 72% retention out of Suits LA and ranking last in total audience out of the 11 dramas that NBC has aired this TV season. —Rebecca Luther, TVLine, 18 Mar. 2025

Verb

In fact, if anything, Lete is even more pissed off now after watching the excursion play back on TV. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2025

Paal then has no option, under pressure from the American, but to play back even further to Morgan Fox. —Beren Cross, The Athletic, 19 Mar. 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)