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

play out the season

2

: unreel, unfold

… played out a length of line.

—Gordon Webber

intransitive verb

1

: to become spent or exhausted

a style that has played out

2

: develop, unfold

see how things play out

Synonyms of play out

• spend
• consume
• drain
• exhaust
• draw down
• run out of
• use up
• reduce
• absorb
• use

Examples of play out in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

And so a lot of this is going to play out over time and how AI is utilized in filmmaking. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 6 Feb. 2026

The best individual matchup of Super Bowl LX figures to play out on the perimeter. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026

The night before, a similar scene played out in New Smyrna Beach. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2026

Mental health concerns are on the rise as immigration enforcement plays out in Minnesota and across the country. —Wcco Staff, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2026

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