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.

Trading is being reimagined as a spectator sport, complete with play-by-play commentary and, of course, prediction bets.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Here, trading is reimagined as a sport, complete with play-by-play commentators dissecting every tick of the digital-assets market.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Several newspapers covered the occasion, leaving a historical record that John Thorn, MLB’s official historian, used to piece together a play-by-play published along with some sights and sounds of the day.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

A room over, dozens of production staffers work to upkeep a livestream set where popular “WoW” social media influencers act as play-by-play broadcasters, discussing strategy.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026

Bennie and Tee gave a play-by-play of what had happened back on the shore.

From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older

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