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

And any benefits for a deal could take months or longer to play out.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

The problem is, of course, that there are so many imponderables between now and next May, and the interim is unlikely to play out as smoothly as Philippe supporters would like.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

For investors who cannot wait for the dramas to play out, the risk-reversal strategy is a way to take risk-adjusted action.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

And the historical relationship does not mean the same pattern will play out this time.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

“Don’t try to make a big Arthur Miller play out of Levy Pants.”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

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