outplay

verb

out·​play ˌau̇t-ˈplā 

outplayed; outplaying; outplays

transitive verb

: 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)

Examples of outplay in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

India dropped five catches but Zimbabwe was outplayed with both bat and ball. — ABC News, 26 July 2026

The Colts haven’t forgotten what happened in their final game of 2025, a 35-33 state playoff loss to Delano Kennedy in which the Colts’ offensive and defensive lines were outplayed throughout. — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026

Jarvis, who is making the league minimum of $780,000, has outplayed Kim, who is making $20 million this year. — Jesús Cano, New York Times, 24 July 2026

The clever mind outplays the strong Who rush with fury all day long. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 23 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for outplay

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway

Kids Definition

outplay

verb

out·​play

(ˈ)au̇t-ˈplā

: to play better than