play out

verb

played out; playing out; plays out

transitive verb

1

a

: to perform to the end

play out a role

b

: use up, finish

2

: unreel, unfold

played out a length of line

—Gordon Webber

intransitive verb

1

: to become spent or exhausted

2

: develop, unfold

see how things play out

Synonyms

• absorb
• burn
• consume
• deplete
• devour
• drain
• draw down
• exhaust
• expend
• spend
• use up

Examples of play out in a Sentence

we've finally played out the leftovers from that huge holiday meal

Recent Examples on the Web

The geopolitical battle of the future is playing out on the app store charts. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025

That’s what played out this past week in the bottom two sectors: health care and consumer staples. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025

Pacheco’s start with KC played out slightly differently. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 17 Jan. 2025

Instead, Bateman would have played out the 2024 season and then been a restricted free agent come March. —Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

play out

verb

1

: to perform to the end

2

a

: to use up or finish

b

: to become exhausted : tire

3

: unreel, unfold