as in spends
to make complete use of
we've finally played out the leftovers from that huge holiday meal
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Recent Examples of plays out
The chapter plays out almost like an extended scene out of a Mike Leigh film.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
In Indonesia, that competition plays out in the clearest terms.
—Lela London, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The struggle plays out repeatedly across Chicago.
—Miguel Chacon, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
How the depth chart plays out at the running back spot will be a big question mark going into cutdown day, but Blue figures to factor into the mix at the top for a feature role in the offense.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2025
The album reflects a small but increasingly apparent divide among Yiddishists, and the Jewish public in general, that often plays out in generational terms.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2025
In Indonesia, that competition plays out in the clearest terms.
—Lela London, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The struggle plays out repeatedly across Chicago.
—Miguel Chacon, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
How the depth chart plays out at the running back spot will be a big question mark going into cutdown day, but Blue figures to factor into the mix at the top for a feature role in the offense.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2025
The album reflects a small but increasingly apparent divide among Yiddishists, and the Jewish public in general, that often plays out in generational terms.
—Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays out
Verb
-
The Cowboys have mastered the art of entertaining and interesting better than any sports franchise in the world, but there is a redundancy that to the person who spends a lot of their money on it is justifiably checked out.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Browns Cleveland boasts an elite defense led by the league’s best pass rusher, an owner who spends more cash than any other team and a promising nucleus from the 2025 draft class.—
Jacob Robinson,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Demand for memory chips has also been surging as the AI data center buildout consumes much of the high-bandwidth memory on the market.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
An average American man consumes about 100 grams of protein per day.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Source clarity can save time and reduce the back-and-forth that drains energy during tight deadlines.—
Malana VanTyler,
Ascend Agency,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Make sure to soak the plant thoroughly so the water drains from the bottom of the pot.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The denial exhausts the city’s legal options for the 2022 ballot measure, known as Measure C.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Ella has shades of Holly Hunter's intense, workaholic producer Jane from Brooks' 1987 masterpiece Broadcast News, the smartest person in any room who both exhausts and enchants everyone around her.—
Esther Zuckerman,
Time,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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This enables continuous charging and reduces the need for large onboard batteries.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
-
As a stocky playmaker who rarely sprints and often reduces the game to walking pace in an increasingly breakneck sport populated by iron men, Cherki’s timing of arrival into English football is where the dichotomy lies.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This compound may affect how your body absorbs minerals like iron and zinc.—
Cynthia Sass,
Health,
5 Nov. 2025
-
While spinach is often praised for its iron content, meat may be a more effective way to boost your levels because your body absorbs it more efficiently.—
Amy Brownstein,
Verywell Health,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Unlike bipedal humanoids, the Onero H1 uses a wheeled base paired with articulated arms, prioritizing stability and dexterity over walking.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Utah is the first state to more formally test how well AI can assess medical situations through a partnership with health-tech startup Doctronic that uses AI to prescribe refills for patients with chronic conditions, Politico reported.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Saito burns about 7,000 calories per day and has lost 13 pounds so far.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Unlike conventional scramjets that rely on kerosene, SPARTAN burns hydrogen, producing zero carbon emissions while enabling reusable, low-maintenance hypersonic flight.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Plays out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays%20out. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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