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
District Judge Richard Leon, a Bush appointee, has halted the construction project as the legal case plays out.
—
Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2026
Federal courts have allowed Cook to stay on the job while the case plays out.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Then again, the Marlins could simply keep Alcantara, see how this season plays out, and revisit his future over the winter.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
If the latter scenario plays out and the Pacers win two or more of their remaining games, the Kings could finish with the worst record, but that is highly unlikely.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Those are two key factors courts weigh in issuing TROs, after which a judge gives a fuller consideration as the legal process plays out.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
No matter how Tuesday’s game plays out, this tournament has been a success for Venezuela.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
What plays out in front of outsiders in the clubhouse is hardly a complete glimpse into the inner workings of a team.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Kind of seeing what plays out and all that stuff.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 28 Apr. 2026
Federal courts have allowed Cook to stay on the job while the case plays out.
—Joe Walsh, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Then again, the Marlins could simply keep Alcantara, see how this season plays out, and revisit his future over the winter.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
If the latter scenario plays out and the Pacers win two or more of their remaining games, the Kings could finish with the worst record, but that is highly unlikely.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026
Those are two key factors courts weigh in issuing TROs, after which a judge gives a fuller consideration as the legal process plays out.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026
No matter how Tuesday’s game plays out, this tournament has been a success for Venezuela.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
What plays out in front of outsiders in the clubhouse is hardly a complete glimpse into the inner workings of a team.
—Evan Grant, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Kind of seeing what plays out and all that stuff.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays out
Verb
-
His aversion to seeing the deficit widen further on the back of a bigger military bill highlights a phenomenon observed by historian Niall Ferguson, who has said any great power that spends more on debt servicing than on defense risks ceasing to be a great power.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
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Apart from these rare public appearances, the young girl spends her days at Lambrook private school.—
Séraphine Roger,
Vanity Fair,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Equally troubling, this annual cycle consumes so much time and energy that there is almost none left to actually think about how the money is spent.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
The global economy consumes about 100 million barrels of oil every day.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Bargain-bin potting mix often drains poorly or contains few nutrients to begin with.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
-
On the other end, the cheapest bagged potting mix often drains too quickly or contains almost no nutrients to feed new roots.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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If the search for a large outdoor planter exhausts you—just get a terra-cotta planter.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Apr. 2026
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As the oil blockade quickly exhausts Cuba’s supply of fuel, triggering a series of lengthy, island-wide blackouts, many here are exhausted and are becoming increasingly vocal about their desire for fundamental changes in Cuba.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a recent bid to boost transparency, Homeland Security announced a broad rollout of body cameras for immigration officers in Minneapolis as the government draws down ICE’s presence there.—
Jack Brook,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
In a recent bid to boost transparency, DHS announced a broad rollout of body cameras for immigration officers in Minneapolis as the government also draws down ICE's presence there.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Congress should invest in technology, innovation and infrastructure that reduces wildfire risk, protects water supply and develops cleaner energy that works for California families.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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Also, reusing local rubble reduces the carbon emissions from transporting heavy sand and gravel across long distances.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
Verb
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This kernel of truth may account for why the prosopopoeia of the wine mom absorbs so much misogynist loathing from all over the political map.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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Some experts say the conflict is putting additional pressure on Ecuadorian public spending, which absorbs part of the cost of gasoline.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
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For Love in the Time of Cholera, 1989, for instance, Pau uses early Picture-in-Picture (PiP) technology to frame clips from Zuni’s 1988 October/Decameron stage performance, which then float, rotate, and cascade across the screen.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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Upstairs, in the bubble gum-pink Powder Room, Shahniani keeps his drag costumes, made by his favorite dressmaker, Kelsey Swarthout, who uses upcycled Disney sheets in her designs.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plays out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plays%20out. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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