play out
Britishverb
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(tr) to finish
let's play the game out if we aren't too late
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informal (tr; often passive) to use up or exhaust
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(tr) to release gradually
he played the rope out
-
(intr) to happen or turn out
Let's wait and see how things play out
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Finish, run out, as in This extreme fashion will soon play out , or The tension between factions will surely play itself out by next year . [Late 1500s]
-
Unwind, unreel, as in They slowly played out the cable . Also see played out .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Fortunately, the first edition this season airs on Tuesday, providing the perfect opportunity to play out the audio of the Fernandez offside decision.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
It remains to be seen how industry safeguards would play out and if they would be enough to sway public opinion.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 12, 2026
That pattern could play out differently in the era of artificial intelligence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
It is anyone’s guess how this will play out, though U.S.
From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2026
“I’ll play out a few with you,” said Whit.
From "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
