PLAYS OUT Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

plays out

verb

present tense third-person singular of play out

as in spends

to make complete use of we've finally played out the leftovers from that huge holiday meal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of plays out But some in the city are waiting to see how a separate court battle in Boston over changes to multiple national parks, including the President’s House, plays out for answers. — Danny Freeman, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 Cook, who has remained in the post while the case plays out, called the allegations a pretext to oust her over monetary policy differences. — Will Dunham, USA Today, 28 June 2026 The heroic death plays out almost as a footnote in an otherwise grim day at sea. — Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026 This comes as a Big 12 lawsuit against the university and others, plays out in court. — S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 16 June 2026 Cynthia wants to get down to the bottom of Shamea’s erratic behavior, and the scene plays out like an angsty teen getting sent to the principal’s office. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 15 June 2026 Less than two miles away, a similarly bustling scene plays out on California Avenue, often considered Palo Alto’s second downtown. — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 9 June 2026 The thriller plays out from the perspective of both women. — Lynette Rice, Deadline, 9 June 2026 In humans with advanced metabolic disease, the same collapse plays out in Charcot’s foot, where the bones of the ankle and midfoot fracture and disintegrate under the weight of a body the metabolism can no longer regulate. — Joshua Moen, STAT, 8 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for plays out

Verb

In other words, someone who exercises regularly but also spends many hours each day watching television still has additional risks for worse cognitive health because of their passive sedentary behavior.

— Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Pizzini explained that because Carol spends so much of the story barricaded inside, the home was designed with an interior atrium to preserve natural light after the windows were shuttered.

— Deadline, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of spends

Verb

Higher follower counts and active social engagement attract major brand sponsors, even if a viewer consumes clips rather than full episodes.

— Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Murrill told lawmakers last year that defending the state against these claims consumes an enormous amount of time and resources and that the fund should be abolished altogether.

— Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of consumes

Verb

Every square inch of land on Earth’s surface receives precipitation, and much of it drains out, eventually, to an ocean or lake.

— Natalie Wolchover, Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2026
This can be in a low spot in your yard that always drains poorly, or under a roof awning or near a gutter that is likely to overflow.

— Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of drains

Verb

That’s because even ordinary winds – and far worse, storms and earthquakes – cause tall buildings to sway, which ruins people’s concentration, wrecks their mood, and even exhausts them.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 July 2026
Watching this scene, and much of the film, exhausts me.

— Jenny Odell, Longreads, 2 June 2026

Definition of exhausts

Verb

Asked about arms sales to Taiwan, Hegseth downplayed concerns that a multi-billion-dollar package could be ‌affected as the United States draws down its weapons stockpiles amid the Middle ⁠East conflict.

— Reuters, NBC news, 30 May 2026
The Bulgarian warrant pilot has to clear before any of the $100 million pipeline behind it draws down.

— Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026

Definition of draws down

Verb

This eliminates manual handoffs, reduces errors and ensures cash flow is tracked from the first quote, not after the fact.

— Ashish Srimal, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Swapping every other drink for a non-alcoholic option reduces total consumption and creates longer gaps between servings.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of reduces

Verb

The Athletic’s player roles analysis uses nearly 40 metrics to analyse players across Europe’s top five leagues, identifying patterns that can help to bucket those who perform similarly in their style.

— Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
The research, published in Chem Circularity, explores a system based on calcium looping, a process that uses the same basic material—limestone—that is already central to cement manufacturing.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 13 Aug. 2026