Synonyms

play-by-play

American

[pley-bahy-pley] / ˈpleɪ baɪˈpleɪ /

adjective

pertaining to or being a detailed account of each incident or act of an event, as in sports.

a play-by-play broadcast of a baseball game.

noun

a detailed and sequential description of a sports contest or other event, as by a sportscaster, usually as it is taking place.

Usage

What does play-by-play mean? A play-by-play is a running commentary on or a detailed summary of an event, used especially in sports.

Etymology

Origin of play-by-play

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His streak of 27 touchdown passes without a pick is, according to Elias, the longest such streak by any player since play-by-play was first tracked in 1978.

From Los Angeles Times

He will join play-by-play announcer Adam Amin in the booth starting Nov. 16.

From Los Angeles Times

Announcer Howard Cosell, known for his love of boxing and of himself, alternately tried to intervene and calm things down while doing a sort of play-by-play.

From Los Angeles Times

Bob Costas sits down with Tom Verducci to talk through his decision to retire from play-by-play announcing and reflect on his career.

From Los Angeles Times

“I know from the outside, people may look and say, the talent’s not changing, this imposing schedule isn’t changing, how can anyone expect different results?” said Paul Loeffler, Fresno State’s radio play-by-play announcer.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023