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
Those fears are already playing out.
—
Meg Tanaka, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Proctor dismissed the notion that any such scenario could play out here in November or beyond.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2026
That evolution has played out on screen.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
But Beijing – and Chinese firms – will also be taking notes as the case continues to play out.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play out
Meg Tanaka, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Proctor dismissed the notion that any such scenario could play out here in November or beyond.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 6 Feb. 2026
That evolution has played out on screen.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2026
But Beijing – and Chinese firms – will also be taking notes as the case continues to play out.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for play out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for play out
Verb
-
Conservative talk radio has long dominated the commutes of California Republicans, many of whom once spent their mornings reading local newspaper opinion pages that leaned right.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
2 Feb. 2026
-
But the Rabelaisian playwright and novelist developed a deep interest in French literature, nourished by a transformative period spent living in post-war Paris.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Seymour said the fundraiser’s original goal has already been consumed by travel costs alone and warned that future expenses — including therapy — remain unknown.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
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Finally, the dietary guidelines fail to state that people under age 21 should not consume alcohol at all.—
Paul Gilbert,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Drain and reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water, and drain pasta.—
Martha Stewart,
Martha Stewart,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Bulldogs drew up a play for Jake Heidbreder, who calmly drained an open 18-footer on the left baseline at the buzzer and was mobbed by students spilling out of the Save Mart Center stands.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At some point, those fuel sources will be exhausted, no further energy will be naturally extracted from what remains within them, and those once-brilliant objects will fade away into darkness.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
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On Wednesday, more than 200 repair crews were at work in Kyiv to restore power, according to the Ukrainian Energy Ministry, which said that staff were exhausted and would be rotated.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These approaches can help identify fields where farmers can use less phosphorus or pause it altogether, allowing crops to draw down the legacy phosphorus already present.—
Dinesh Phuyal,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
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Those two factors caused the program to start drawing down its reserves around 2009, much sooner than had been projected in 2021 and 2022, according to Nuñez.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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These sweet and savory recipe are a great way to use up your hoard—and keep you warm on a chilly snow day.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Polarek said the heavy snowfall in November used up a lot of salt.—
Post-Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This comes at a time when there has been talk of reducing the number of PGA tournaments on the calendar.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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The cross-border clearing platform could streamline operations, reducing risks in OTC trades that dominate the market.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The steel frame included in the renovation absorbs impacts, and the bridge cover has remained largely unharmed.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
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For instance, it's sometimes used to bind to certain poisons before your body absorbs them.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Play out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/play%20out. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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