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instant replay

American

[in-stuhnt ree-pley] / ˈɪn stənt ˈriˌpleɪ /

noun

British, action replay. Television.
1. the recording and immediate rebroadcasting of a segment of a live television broadcast, especially of a sports event.
  
  an instant replay of the touchdown pass.
2. a segment recorded and immediately rebroadcast.
Informal. the repetition, review, or reenactment of something immediately or soon after its initial occurrence.

instant replay British

noun

another name for action replay

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of instant replay

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

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.

NFL instant replay pooh-bah Mark Butterworth later explained the ruling thusly:

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025

The official pulled out a tablet to watch an instant replay of the incident.

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2023

But Trejo nicked the bag with a toe, got up and fired to first for a double play that was upheld after an instant replay.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 11, 2023

The debate persists today, even as instant replay becomes increasingly normalized.

From Washington Times • May 18, 2023

In a move that mostly affects Divisions II and III, the committee approved the optional use of instant replay in games that do not have a replay official.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 3, 2023

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