play-by-play

adjective

ˈplā-ˌbī-ˌplā How to pronounce play-by-play (audio)
ˌplā-ˌbī-ˈplā
1
: being or giving a running commentary on a sports event
a radio play-by-play announcer
2
: relating each event as it occurs
play-by-play noun

Examples of play-by-play in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The hope was that Morneau, Plouffe and Perkins would switch off duties each game as the unofficial play-by-play person to handle home run calls, ads and keep the booth organized by communicating directly with Twins TV coordinating producer Trevor Fleck. Dan Hayes, New York Times, 11 July 2025 Curry will remain the team’s main analyst for FanDuel Sports Southeast for the vast majority of games and Collins will still handle play-by-play duties for a bulk of Charlotte’s games. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2025 Now – Bob Costas – a voice that has been central to so many iconic sports moments – is marking the end of a legendary run after retiring from play-by-play announcing. NBC news, 6 July 2025 On Saturday, Steers posted a play-by-play of the two parents’ daytime activities on July 4. Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for play-by-play

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of play-by-play was in 1927

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Cite this Entry

“Play-by-play.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play-by-play. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

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