play out

verb

played out; playing out; plays out

transitive verb

1
a
: to perform to the end
play out a role
b
2
: unreel, unfold
played out a length of lineGordon Webber

intransitive verb

1
: to become spent or exhausted
2
: develop, unfold
see how things play out

Examples of play out in a Sentence

we've finally played out the leftovers from that huge holiday meal
Recent Examples on the Web The consternation is over language that was vetted in one chamber but not the other ― a common scenario that plays out in conference committees during these final days. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Mar. 2024 At any rate, that is how awards season has been playing out in the lead-up to Sunday's 96th Annual Academy Awards (on ABC at 7:00 p.m. EDT). Bob Mondello, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 This debate – not to mention the kind of major European security overhaul Mr. Macron wants – will take many months to play out, and Mr. Putin is clearly watching. Ned Temko, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 And of course their relationship has played out very publicly, in a way that there was no ecosystem for that in Joan Baez’s time, right? Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 Two high-profile defamation lawsuits have played out in public, one of which served Depp a victory this December. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 Similar scenes played out at other southeast Valley residences, according to community members who provided video of the police activity. Robert Anglen, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 In the three years since the attack played out on television, Republicans have become less likely to describe the rioters as violent and more likely to absolve Mr. Trump of responsibility, according to a Washington Post-University of Maryland poll. Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 This was one of several head-spinning scenes that played out Tuesday as a 41-year-old man named Jofama Coleman was formally exonerated of the 2003 drive-by murder of a South L.A. teenager. Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of play out was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near play out

Cite this Entry

“Play out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20out. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

play out

verb
1
: to perform to the end
2
a
: to use up or finish
b
: to become exhausted : tire
3
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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