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
By the end of the year, though, Walker had outplayed Nijman and won the job.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
While Brooklyn attorney Kyle Fraser ultimately outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted the competition to claim the $1 million prize in a nail-biting 5-2-1 jury vote, our local hero, Mitch Guerra, ended his Fijian adventure as the seventh member of the jury.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Kevin Love outplayed his father, but Stan Love’s association with the Beach Boys stood out.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
Finally, the Amazins’ managed to outplay the one NL East rival that always seems to have their number.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
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.
Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
While Brooklyn attorney Kyle Fraser ultimately outwitted, outplayed, and outlasted the competition to claim the $1 million prize in a nail-biting 5-2-1 jury vote, our local hero, Mitch Guerra, ended his Fijian adventure as the seventh member of the jury.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Kevin Love outplayed his father, but Stan Love’s association with the Beach Boys stood out.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
Finally, the Amazins’ managed to outplay the one NL East rival that always seems to have their number.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for outplay
Cite this Entry
“Outplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outplay. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share