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
Daigneault said Denver has outplayed his team for most of the series outside of two fourth-quarter stretches.
—Kelly Iko, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Before tonight, Boston had outplayed New York for the majority of this series: New York needed a pair of late miracles to pull out the two victories in Boston, and the Celtics crushed New York 115-93 in Saturday’s Game 3.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 13 May 2025
Barcelona reached the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time in six years, despite being outplayed and comfortably beaten 3-1 by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
Edwards essentially stole a contest in which the Wolves were largely outplayed with some sensational shot-making at the start of the fourth quarter to get the Wolves back into the game, then with prolific playmaking at the end to win it.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 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.
Kelly Iko, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Before tonight, Boston had outplayed New York for the majority of this series: New York needed a pair of late miracles to pull out the two victories in Boston, and the Celtics crushed New York 115-93 in Saturday’s Game 3.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 13 May 2025
Barcelona reached the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time in six years, despite being outplayed and comfortably beaten 3-1 by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
—Thomas Schlachter, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025
Edwards essentially stole a contest in which the Wolves were largely outplayed with some sensational shot-making at the start of the fourth quarter to get the Wolves back into the game, then with prolific playmaking at the end to win it.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 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 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share