play out

British  

verb

1. (tr) to finish

   let's play the game out if we aren't too late

2. informal (tr; often passive) to use up or exhaust

3. (tr) to release gradually

   he played the rope out

4. (intr) to happen or turn out

   Let's wait and see how things play out

---

play out Idioms  

1. 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]

2. Unwind, unreel, as in They slowly played out the cable . Also see played out .

---

Example Sentences

“Uncertainty about how talks will play out means the market will likely continue to price in some risk premium,” analysts at ING said.

From The Wall Street Journal

“But it’s pretty early in the cycle, and there’s a lot of room for things to ultimately play out as feared,” he said.

From MarketWatch

Epstein allegedly replies: "lets not dwell on him, i am only interested in how this plays out for you."

From BBC

Every year they're played out in an excruciating loop, be it spring or autumn or both.

From BBC

“We’re going to continue to invest for the growth. Any growth that’s there is modest, and we need to see how this single dose plays out.”

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• become
• come to be
• end up
• eventually be
• finish as
• turn out to be