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
That early goal aside, the Sabres were handily outplayed for the first two periods, a continuation of Game 2’s 5-1 blowout loss.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 May 2026
You got outplayed in all facets of the game to lose the series.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2026
The Wolves were outplayed early, then in the middle and again late.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
That could impact the situation of Clarke, who outplayed Doughty and usurped his former position on the power play but logged fewer minutes at right defense just the same.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 2 May 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.
Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 May 2026
You got outplayed in all facets of the game to lose the series.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2026
The Wolves were outplayed early, then in the middle and again late.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
That could impact the situation of Clarke, who outplayed Doughty and usurped his former position on the power play but logged fewer minutes at right defense just the same.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 2 May 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 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
