play out

verb

played out; playing out; plays out

transitive verb

1
a
: to perform to the end
play out a role
b
2
: unreel, unfold
played out a length of lineGordon Webber

intransitive verb

1
: to become spent or exhausted
2
: develop, unfold
see how things play out

Examples of play out in a Sentence

we've finally played out the leftovers from that huge holiday meal
Recent Examples on the Web Several angles were playing out, and there were no dead spots. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024 In the historical record of Westeros, the events of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms take place a century before HBO's Game of Thrones (about 90 years prior), but several decades after the events of the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war that's currently playing out on House of the Dragon. EW.com, 19 Oct. 2024 Liam Payne’s Death Means Mourning My Memories Garfield doesn’t want one that plays out too publicly, either. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 18 Oct. 2024 One way this could play out is having a joint account used to pay all of the household bills, while each partner keeps their own personal savings account. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for play out 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'play out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of play out was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near play out

Cite this Entry

“Play out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/play%20out. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

play out

verb
1
: to perform to the end
2
a
: to use up or finish
b
: to become exhausted : tire
3
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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