play-by-play: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumInformal to Neutral
Quick answer
What does “play-by-play” mean?
A detailed, moment-by-moment narrative description of an event, originally and primarily a sports game.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A detailed, moment-by-moment narrative description of an event, originally and primarily a sports game.
Any extremely detailed, sequential account or commentary of an event as it happens.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term originates from American sports broadcasting. In British English, it is understood but less common; 'commentary' or 'running commentary' are more frequent generic terms.
Connotations
In AmE, it has strong connotations of American sports culture (baseball, basketball, American football). In BrE, it may sound like an imported Americanism.
Frequency
Significantly more frequent in American English.
Grammar
How to Use “play-by-play” in a Sentence
give a play-by-play (of)provide a play-by-playa play-by-play account/description/narrativeVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “play-by-play” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Not standard as a verb.
American English
- Not standard as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not standard as an adverb.
American English
- Not standard as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- She provided a play-by-play report of the parliamentary debate for the radio.
- The blog offered a play-by-play analysis of the royal procession.
American English
- We listened to the play-by-play broadcast of the World Series on the car radio.
- He gave a play-by-play account of the committee's heated discussion.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used metaphorically for a detailed, step-by-step report on a project or negotiation. 'He gave the board a play-by-play of the merger talks.'
Academic
Rare, except in media or sports studies to describe a commentary style.
Everyday
Common when describing sports or giving a detailed story. 'My flatmate gave me a play-by-play of his disastrous date.'
Technical
Specific to broadcasting and sports journalism.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “play-by-play”
Strong
Neutral
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “play-by-play”
- Using as a verb (e.g., 'He play-by-played the match'). Incorrect. Use 'gave a play-by-play of'.
- Hyphenation errors: 'play by play' (without hyphens) is often seen but the standard adjectival/nominal form is hyphenated.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is not standard. The correct phrasing is to 'give a play-by-play' or 'provide a play-by-play'.
Yes, it's commonly used metaphorically for any detailed, sequential account of an event (e.g., a meeting, an argument, a ceremony).
Play-by-play is the sequential description of the action. Colour commentary is the analysis, background information, and expert opinion provided between the play-by-play descriptions.
When used as a compound noun ('listen to the play-by-play') or a compound adjective ('a play-by-play account'), yes. When used adverbially in a looser sense ('He described it play by play'), hyphens are often omitted.
A detailed, moment-by-moment narrative description of an event, originally and primarily a sports game.
Play-by-play is usually informal to neutral in register.
Play-by-play: in British English it is pronounced /ˌpleɪ baɪ ˈpleɪ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌpleɪ baɪ ˈpleɪ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “give someone the play-by-play”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a sports game: for every PLAY that happens, the commentator talks BY that PLAY. It's a narration play-by-play.
Conceptual Metaphor
EVENTS ARE GAMES (with a narrator describing each move).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'play-by-play' LEAST likely to be used?