play out

verb

played out; playing out; plays out

transitive verb

1

a

: to perform to the end

play out a role

b

: use up, finish

2

: unreel, unfold

played out a length of line

—Gordon Webber

intransitive verb

1

: to become spent or exhausted

2

: develop, unfold

see how things play out

Synonyms

• absorb
• burn
• consume
• deplete
• devour
• drain
• draw down
• exhaust
• expend
• spend
• use up

Examples of play out in a Sentence

we've finally played out the leftovers from that huge holiday meal

Recent Examples on the Web

This has been playing out with the current rally as well, with the S&P 500 Index up just 1.7% since the bull market turned two years old on October 12, 2024. —Jeffrey Schulze, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

The British Royal Family is no different; their problems just play out on a bigger stage. —Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 8 June 2025

The once chummy relationship between President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk imploded in a flurry of back-and-forth insults and allegations that played out on social media for all the world to see. —Andrew Torgan, CNN Money, 8 June 2025

Much of the story — about Murrow’s conflict with Senator Joseph McCarthy over his ongoing communist witch hunt — even played out on TV, via the anchor’s nightly newscasts. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for play out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

play out

verb

1

: to perform to the end

2

a

: to use up or finish

b

: to become exhausted : tire

3

: unreel, unfold