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

Several chapters depict tortuous scenes from Gerry’s life as they play out in memory and on the page.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 9, 2026

We’ve already seen this dynamic begin to play out.

From Slate • Jul. 6, 2026

Wall Street is still bullish on stocks over the second half of the year but sees diminishing returns over the next six months as many of these issues play out.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

“I’m not sure how this will play out, but I think real estate agents are feeling optimistic,” Pilon said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2026

I play out these little scenarios where I go up to a girl on the beach and start talking to her.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Related Words

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