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noun

playbook

PLAY-buuk

Playbook (noun) means a book of tactics and set plays used by a sports team, especially in American football. Example: “The rookie quarterback spent the offseason memorizing the playbook.”

noun
1
A book of tactics and set plays used by a sports team, especially in American football.
"The rookie quarterback spent the offseason memorizing the playbook."
2
A set of strategies or established methods used to approach a task or situation.
"The startup followed a classic growth playbook: raise money fast, scale faster."

How to use playbook

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA team's book of tactics, or more broadly, a go-to set of strategies for getting something done.

Common pairings
out of the playbook follow the playbook standard playbook

Word forms

playbooks plural

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The rookie quarterback spent the offseason memorizing the _____.

Etymology

A compound of play and book.

Rhymes for playbook

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Frequently asked questions

What does “playbook” mean?

The word “playbook” means a book of tactics and set plays used by a sports team, especially in American football. In plain terms, a team's book of tactics, or more broadly, a go-to set of strategies for getting something done.

How do you pronounce “playbook”?

“Playbook” is pronounced PLAY-buuk (/ˈpleɪ.bʊk/ in IPA).

How do you use “playbook” in a sentence?

Here is “playbook” used in a sentence: “The rookie quarterback spent the offseason memorizing the playbook.”

What part of speech is “playbook”?

“Playbook” is a noun.

How many meanings does “playbook” have?

“Playbook” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a book of tactics and set plays used by a sports team, especially in American football.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial