airplay

noun

air·​play ˈer-ˌplā How to pronounce airplay (audio)
: the playing of a musical recording on the air by a radio station
a song getting a lot of airplay

Examples of airplay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Radio is local, Smith explains, and getting airplay helps build a fanbase in that market. Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025 That latter list includes purchases, streams, and radio airplay, while the former looks only at sales, as its name suggests. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 Billboard's 2024 data showed women being de-emphasized again, achieving just 8.39% of country radio airplay overall. Marcus K. Dowling, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025 The pair fused Lee’s love of classical with Moody’s taste for metal and hard rock and eventually released two EPs that earned some airplay in Little Rock. Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for airplay

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of airplay was in 1942

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Cite this Entry

“Airplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/airplay. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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