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

The volatility has played out in oil markets, with crude prices surging in early trade. —Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026

Husted declined a request for further comment about the details that have emerged as the various cases surrounding the bribery scandal play out. —Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2026

Unfortunately, with oil tankers taking 50 days or more to travel from the Persian Gulf to Europe or to our west coast, the effects of what is happening now militarily still has a long time to play out; and the effects of ongoing conflict is even foggier. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 19 Apr. 2026

How that’s going to play out is unknown. —Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 19 Apr. 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