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

Morgan Stanley upgrades Carvana to equal weight from underweight The firm raised its price target on the stock to $260 per share from $110 following earnings and says the Carvana bull case is starting to play out. —Michael Bloom, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024

There has already been at least one instance of tensions boiling over in South Carolina where ugly scenes played out at an Orangeburg County early-voting location. —Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Similar conundrums played out in a handful of presidential elections before, including in 2000, when George W. Bush won the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote to then-Vice President Al Gore. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2024

The cost crunch is also playing out in TV production, as players activate strategies to produce high quality shows without losing their shirts. —John Hopewell, Variety, 4 Nov. 2024

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