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 funding drama has played out as the mayor has come under fire over the Trump Justice Department’s order to dismiss his federal corruption case. —Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2025

Much of those arguments played out again before the City Council Wednesday. —Tammy Murga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025

And that's exactly what played out in the comments of the viral post. —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 21 Feb. 2025

When that did play out on Tuesday, a stranger tipped him off by sending a screenshot that Markle teased on Instagram that her lifestyle company was being renamed As Ever. —Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for play out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

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