outplay
verb
out·play
ˌau̇t-ˈplā 
outplayed; outplaying; outplays
: to play better than
especially
: to outdo in playing a game
The Knicks took a 21-point lead in the first half, gave up 18 consecutive points in the third quarter, but outplayed the Kings down the stretch to win … —
The Times Union (Albany, New York)
The Times Union (Albany, New York) Examples of outplay in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The team recently outplayed England at Wembley Stadium in a warmup friendly, winning the game 1-0.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Facing pressure to win its first World Cup title since 2002, five-time champion Brazil was outplayed early and needed Vinícius Júnior's 32nd-minute goal to gain a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday in a pulsating, high-profile group match.
—ABC News, 13 June 2026
Captain Jordan Staal added his fifth goal in the series on a night when Carolina overcame multiple hiccups from these playoffs, from a shaky power play to being outplayed in the second period of this series.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Captain Jordan Staal added his fifth goal in the series on a night when the Hurricanes overcame multiple hiccups from these playoffs, from a shaky power play to being outplayed in the second period of this series.
—Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for outplay
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.
Ben Church, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Facing pressure to win its first World Cup title since 2002, five-time champion Brazil was outplayed early and needed Vinícius Júnior's 32nd-minute goal to gain a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday in a pulsating, high-profile group match.
—ABC News, 13 June 2026
Captain Jordan Staal added his fifth goal in the series on a night when Carolina overcame multiple hiccups from these playoffs, from a shaky power play to being outplayed in the second period of this series.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2026
Captain Jordan Staal added his fifth goal in the series on a night when the Hurricanes overcame multiple hiccups from these playoffs, from a shaky power play to being outplayed in the second period of this series.
—Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for outplay
Cite this Entry
“Outplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outplay. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
