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Synonyms

played out

Idioms  
  1. See play out .

  2. Exhausted, worn out, as in This was the third trip the mules had made, and they were utterly played out . [Mid-1800s]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The frictions also played out on the ground in Beijing as US and Chinese officials appeared to be having their own shadow superpower battle.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

We’ll get into how all that played out in the show, but right now, nearly a decade later, the case still raises some other big questions.

From Slate • May 13, 2026

The most consequential decision in the history of the video assistant referee in the Premier League was played out over four minutes 11 seconds of nerve-shredding drama inside London Stadium.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

The crisis of trust has played out differently in different countries, depending on the rhythm of elections and the peculiarities of the political system.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

What the Object and I did together was played out under these loose rules.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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