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feedback

/ˈfiːdˌbæk/
nounverb

Feedback means an assessment or a signal returned to influence a system; the eight-letter word scores 20 points in Scrabble.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 3 meanings

  1. Critical assessment of a process or activity or of their results.

    “After you hand in your essays, I will give both grades and feedback.”

  2. The part of an output signal that is looped back into the input to control or modify a system.

  3. The high-pitched howling noise heard when there is a loop between a microphone and a speaker.

Verb 3 meanings

  1. To generate the high-frequency sound by allowing a speaker to cause vibration of the sound generator of a musical instrument connected by an amplifier to the speaker.

    “The show ended with a riot of feedbacking guitars.”

  2. To provide informational feedback to.

    “His employees feedbacked him a lot more than he wanted.”

  3. To convey by means of specialized communications channel.

    “Customers feedbacked their complaints and some praise.”

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

From feed + back.

Similar and opposite words

Similar
estimationassessmentcritiqueevaluationhowlbackhowlround

Feedback is an everyday word with a technical side: it can mean an assessment of results, a signal returned to alter a system, or the piercing sound created by a microphone-speaker loop. The same spelling also works as a verb for producing that amplified sound. Its 20-point Scrabble value comes from F and K, not from a rare spelling.

Feedback at a glance

  • FEEDBACK has eight letters, including two Es, and its letters sort to ABCDEEFK.
  • Its Scrabble face value is 20 points: F is 4, K is 5, and B and C are 3 each.
  • No anagrams or one-letter neighbours appear among its recorded word matches.
  • Twelve listed rhymes share its final ACK sound, including BACK, TRACK, and COMEBACK.

What does feedback mean?

Feedback first names a critical assessment of a process, activity, or result. In a workplace or classroom, that is a response someone can use to judge what worked. The meaning is broader than praise: a critical assessment can point to problems as well as successes.

A second sense belongs to engineering: part of an output signal returns to the input and changes how the system behaves. The word also names the shrill howl produced when a microphone and speaker form a loop. As a verb, it means producing that amplified sound with an instrument.

What is the feedback Scrabble score?

FEEDBACK scores 20 points before board bonuses: F 4 + E 1 + E 1 + D 2 + B 3 + A 1 + C 3 + K 5. K gives 5 and F adds 4, so those two tiles supply 9 of the total. A double-word square multiplies the word total, not the printed face value.

Despite its familiar spelling, FEEDBACK has no anagrams and no one-letter neighbours in the recorded word set. That makes it a poor target for anagram solving or a one-tile word ladder. Its rhymes are more plentiful: BACK, BLACK, ATTACK, TRACK, LACK, JACK, PACK, CRACK, COMEBACK, HACK, STACK, and QUARTERBACK.

For a clue, its first and last letters give a clear frame: F at the front, K at the end, with six tiles between. The named source lists are ENABLE, NWL2023, and Collins; check your game's edition before playing because acceptance can vary.

Rhymes with feedback

All rhymes

Questions people ask

How many words rhyme with feedback?
Twelve listed words rhyme with FEEDBACK, sharing its final ACK sound. Examples include BACK, BLACK, ATTACK, TRACK, and COMEBACK. The set also includes JACK, PACK, CRACK, LACK, HACK, STACK, and QUARTERBACK.
Can feedback be used as a verb?
Yes. FEEDBACK can mean producing a high-pitched sound by letting a speaker vibrate an amplified musical instrument. The word also works as a noun for the howling sound itself, as well as for an assessment or a returned signal.
Is feedback accepted in every Scrabble version?
Check the word list used by your game before playing FEEDBACK, since editions and apps can differ. Its tile value is 20 points before board bonuses. The named word-game lists include ENABLE, NWL2023, and Collins.

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