as in to spend
to make complete use of
we've finally played out the leftovers from that huge holiday meal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of play out
Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on Wednesday, as his $150 billion civil lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman played out in a California courtroom.
—
Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 14 May 2026
As the adrenaline levels rose on Monday and Tuesday, and the familiar choreography of another British political crisis began to play out—ministerial resignations, spiky statements on X—the collateral damage that Starmer had warned against started to encroach, once again, upon the scene.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Fans of Pawlikowski’s style will feel coldly, cozily at home in how their emotionally stingy relationship plays out.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
Here’s a look, week-by-week, at the 49ers’ schedule, followed by a few (not-so-bold) predictions of how the 2026 regular season might play out for San Francisco.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for play out
Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 14 May 2026
As the adrenaline levels rose on Monday and Tuesday, and the familiar choreography of another British political crisis began to play out—ministerial resignations, spiky statements on X—the collateral damage that Starmer had warned against started to encroach, once again, upon the scene.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Fans of Pawlikowski’s style will feel coldly, cozily at home in how their emotionally stingy relationship plays out.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
Here’s a look, week-by-week, at the 49ers’ schedule, followed by a few (not-so-bold) predictions of how the 2026 regular season might play out for San Francisco.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for play out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play out
Verb
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This is not fusion, but testament to the world as one big town, as perhaps only a third-culture kid — with Filipino and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry, and a girlhood spent in the Deep South — would know.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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Barker worked at Starbucks and spent every free moment writing and shooting.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Could the chicken from which the thigh and breast meat came, have consumed, weeks earlier, a toxic amount of psychedelics?—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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Thankfully, cleaning a mattress isn't hard to do or very time consuming.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Mitchell did not miss a shot in the quarter, draining all three of her 3-point tries as well as a step-back jumper.—
John Davis,
Daily News,
14 May 2026
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Even with so many suspects, Janet's brother, Francesco Caltieri, remembers hope draining away in his family's household.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Specifically, the program targets gap funding, financial support for students who are academically on track to graduate but have exhausted every other source of aid and still face an outstanding balance that could prevent them from finishing.—
CBS News Atlanta Digital Team,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
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At the school board meeting, many parents said they were exhausted from battling their kids over screen time.—
Sharon Lurye,
Fortune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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An economy may run surpluses while households prepare for retirement, then deficits as retirees draw down their savings.—
James Broughel,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
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The market has also relied on commercial inventories of crude oil and refined products to ease the impact of the supply disruption but those stocks will eventually draw down to working minimums, said Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods in a Friday interview with CNBC.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Besides being a crowd-pleaser, this recipe will use up 3 pounds of extra produce from your garden.—
Mary Shannon Wells,
Southern Living,
8 May 2026
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The group uses up data on 32 safety measures to evaluate hospitals.—
Eva Flowe
Updated May 7,
Charlotte Observer,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Earlier that year, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a sweeping climate change bill with an ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030, 70% by 2040, and to achieve economy-wide net-zero levels by 2050.—
Krisztian Elcsics,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Likewise, in building communities, there must be a priority on preserving green spaces, creating walkable neighborhoods to reduce traffic and car emissions, intentionally designating areas for wildlife habitats, and prioritizing quality of life through parks, trails, and conservation areas.—
Sammy Duda,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
Verb
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From a slew of acids, designed to slough off dead skin cells, to masks that help draw and absorb oil, the sheer array can be overwhelming.—
Diana Tsui,
Footwear News,
15 May 2026
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Lay tomato and cucumber slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb excess moisture.—
Midwest Living,
Midwest Living,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Play out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20out. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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