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

We have a whole report discussing how it’s going to play out.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

The final chapter in the long-running dispute which followed the death of footballer Emiliano Sala is set to play out in a French court.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Watching it play out all over again on screen is starting to feel less like a movie and more like a never-ending reality show.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

From wars and revolutions to tech advances and trade, developments that play out on the global stage reverberate in the markets, affecting stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities, and more.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

She turn from the birdbath and smile and holler, “Hi, Aibee. I love you, Aibee,” and I feel a tickly feeling, soft like the flap a butterfly wings, watching her play out there.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Related Words

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