as in to spend
to make complete use of
we've finally played out the leftovers from that huge holiday meal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of play out
The extraordinary drama played out overnight on a holiday weekend and vaulted from tarmacs in Texas to a courtroom in Washington.
—
Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2025
Here's how the beef played out this week in the White House.
—Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
The chapter plays out almost like an extended scene out of a Mike Leigh film.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
On the runway, planes sat with engines idling, ground crews making final preparations as if departures could come at any moment — all as the courtroom battle played out hundreds of miles away in Washington.
—Valerie Gonzalez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play out
Arkansas Online, 1 Sep. 2025
Here's how the beef played out this week in the White House.
—Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025
The chapter plays out almost like an extended scene out of a Mike Leigh film.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
On the runway, planes sat with engines idling, ground crews making final preparations as if departures could come at any moment — all as the courtroom battle played out hundreds of miles away in Washington.
—Valerie Gonzalez, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for play out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play out
Verb
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Joabe Barbosa, Matthew Plese and Omar Yousaf spent the day riding the entire MARTA rail system in an attempt to complete the full route in roughly three hours.—
Kaley Fedko,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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Visitors can spend their entire trip switching off between the two, but be sure to take some time to explore the rocky cove beaches called calas that have made Costa Blanca famous.—
Liz Provencher,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Researchers pondered what the gargantuan black hole consumed to release such a powerful flare.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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People who aren't used to eating fiber-rich foods may experience bloating and gas after consuming fibrous foods.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Even seasoned travelers underestimate how quickly streaming and Bluetooth drain a phone or tablet at 35,000 feet.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
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Investments in controlling invasive species have led to a 75 percent reduction in the area overtaken by melaleuca, a particularly thirsty tree species introduced in the river of grass near the turn of the 20th century to help drain it.—
Amy Green,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The team concentrated on stars that had recently entered the post-main sequence phase, having exhausted their hydrogen, and identified just 130 planets and planet candidates orbiting nearby – 33 of which had not been detected before.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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Despite these real dangers, our law enforcement shows incredible restraint in exhausting all options before force is escalated.—
James Hill,
ABC News,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The decline in the measure reflected producers drawing down their raw materials inventories at the fastest rate since October 2024.—
Reade Pickert Bloomberg,
Arkansas Online,
6 Jan. 2026
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More recently, as inventories have been drawn down, the downstream order environment has improved, and imports for the world-less-China are projected to reach a record in 2025/26.—
SJ Guest Editorial,
Sourcing Journal,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Traditionally, bakers in European countries used up all their fats and sugar ahead of the Lenten season since religious observances forbid indulgences during the season.—
Jelissa Burns,
Freep.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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Starting in a small section at the top of a wall, wipe the wallpaper using up-and-down strokes.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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During his January 2025 State of the State address, Little called for tax cuts that could reduce the state’s general fund by about $100 million.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
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To reduce sizes, builders are going back to open floor plans with fewer hallways.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Due to the inability to absorb adequate nutrients, the body might become malnourished.—
Pamela Assid Woughter,
Verywell Health,
9 Jan. 2026
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Unlike glossy black, this effect absorbs light in a subtle way, creating a richer, more modern visual texture.—
Andrea Carbajal,
Glamour,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Play out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20out. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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