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

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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 .

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Example Sentences

"But with the release of Smart Bricks, Lego is taking play out of the hands of children and putting it into the tiny sensors of these so-called 'smart' devices."

From BBC

But as it turns out, producing incredible plays out of nowhere is exactly what the 23-year-old passer has spent his entire life training to do.

From The Wall Street Journal

The situation in Venezuela will play out over many years.

From Barron's

“There are clearly a lot of unknowns in how this all plays out, but there is clear risk to returns as AVs hit critical mass,” the analysts added.

From Barron's

The full extent of those consequences will play out as the situation evolves.

From Barron's

Related Words

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