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

Many Americans have watched long-term care play out for a parent or grandparent. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025

Koepp’s scenes, confined to the two-story house or just outside it, play out as acts of voyeurism, sometimes a line or two in a bedroom, sometimes longer scenes roving around the house. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025

Similar disasters have played out recently around the world, including the 2023 Lahaina fire on Maui’s northwest coast, and July 2024 fires in Viña del Mar, Chile. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2025

Fans have done so countless times, judging the coach before even watching their first game play out. —Scott Thompson, Fox News, 28 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