played out 1 of 2

Definition of played outnext

played out

2 of 2

verb

past tense of play out

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of played out
Adjective
This is all being played out amid the backdrop of Netflix’s audacious swoop for WBD, which will give Netflix control over two of the world’s biggest streaming services. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026 This vital conversation of what to do about it has played out in these chambers for well over a decade. Sacramento Bee Staff, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
The mountainous region is one of various points in the state where a turf war has played out for more than a year between two rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel. CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026 The same story played out in music, where AI tools lowered barriers to entry but platform economics still favored a few giants. Aisha Alves, Rolling Stone, 3 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for played out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for played out
Adjective
  • Nanos must also be tired of talking, though that one is on him.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Aiona has grown tired of spending his retirement telling park-goers to stop feeding the chickens.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Scottish painter Gordon Coutts built villa Dar Marroc in 1924, using his time spent in the bohemian seaside city of Tangier as inspiration for both the design and the ethos of his new Palm Springs home.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Sky and his wife spent the day sharing their thoughts with reporters from CNN and CBS News, the BBC and NBC.
    Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Waiting lists for disease diagnosis and nonurgent surgeries are becoming unmanageable, emergency rooms are overwhelmed, and staff is exhausted, Guedes warns.
    Sarah Moreno Updated February 19, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
  • As my shame begins to spiral, my exhausted friends in the Twin Cities reach out offering grace.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Love may be in the air this Valentine’s Day, but Berlin had better get ready to be consumed by Lust.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Ogden consumed Newell’s videos like candy.
    Bill Donahue, Outside, 14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Clearly the consumer is tapped out.
    Robert Barone, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
  • The first movie tapped out with $86.1 million but became a sleeper hit on home entertainment, while the sequel ended its run with $174.3 million.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 22 Mar. 2023
Verb
  • Country Day had rallied from a 14-point second-period deficit, trailing 23-9, when senior Jack Wegman drained a trio of three-pointers to key a 15-4 Falcons streak that narrowed the gap to 27-24 at intermission.
    Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2026
  • The expropriations, along with the firings, consolidated state control of the oil sector and, experts say, drained the country of expertise and investment, inflicting lasting damage.
    Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Those are just a few of the clever software-as-a-service portmanteaus being tossed around as investors debate a massive selloff in the sector that has vaporized roughly $1 trillion in valuations from recent highs, with more than $285 billion in market value wiped out in February alone.
    Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
  • The federal Energy Information Administration said the winter storm that hit a large swath of the country in late January wiped out gas storage, driving up prices that will remain high in the coming months.
    Drew Kann, AJC.com, 18 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • As Russia reduced flows, prices spiked, pushing up energy bills and helping fuel a cost of living crisis.
    Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
  • Ultimately, the report states, about 1% of the district’s more than 83,000 employees are likely to lose a job or have their pay reduced.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Played out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/played%20out. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.

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