as in spending
to make complete use of
we've finally played out the leftovers from that huge holiday meal
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Recent Examples of playing out
The debate over the shape of Louisiana’s new districts is playing out as South Carolina’s governor ramps up pressure on lawmakers to also redistrict ahead of the midterms.
—
Jeffrey Collins, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
The Summer House scandal playing out on Bravo.
—John Ross, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026
Jo and Naomi McPherson were playing out of mini amps.
—Katie Gavin, Time, 8 May 2026
Congress has not fulfilled that obligation, and the consequences are playing out in real time.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
For other premier players, playing out one final season at their current location — should that be her plan — could serve as a distraction.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
The contest is playing out more than a year after the devastating Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
And look how that little narrative is playing out in Minneapolis right now.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
And with some options strategies now playing out over a single day, the line between trading and betting can get thin in a hurry.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
Jeffrey Collins, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
The Summer House scandal playing out on Bravo.
—John Ross, Vanity Fair, 8 May 2026
Jo and Naomi McPherson were playing out of mini amps.
—Katie Gavin, Time, 8 May 2026
Congress has not fulfilled that obligation, and the consequences are playing out in real time.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
For other premier players, playing out one final season at their current location — should that be her plan — could serve as a distraction.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
The contest is playing out more than a year after the devastating Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
And look how that little narrative is playing out in Minneapolis right now.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
And with some options strategies now playing out over a single day, the line between trading and betting can get thin in a hurry.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playing out
Verb
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The Republican primary has been one of the most expensive in recent history, with both sides spending freely on attack ads.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
Cherry Creek’s policy prohibits employees from spending district money on alcohol.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
20 May 2026
Verb
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Plant the cutting in well-draining soil in a 12-inch tall pot that’s about 6 inches wide so the roots have plenty of room to grow.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
-
More turbulent water draining from the desert via seasonal drainage channels called wadis might have brought others.—
Geoff Emberling,
The Conversation,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Thankfully, cleaning a mattress isn't hard to do or very time consuming.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
-
Public health agencies have launched multilingual warnings, including radio ads, flyers, and PSAs in several languages, urging residents to avoid consuming wild mushrooms.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Sliding effortlessly from incisive observer to chaotic flirt to exhausting narcissist, Firstman is never not in on the joke.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
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Martinez on Thursday did not discuss details of the plan but said the city was exhausting all its options while seeking more ways to cut costs.—
Abby Church,
Houston Chronicle,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The International Energy Agency warned the world is drawing down oil inventories at a record pace, with 164 million barrels released by governments and industry as of May 8.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
16 May 2026
-
Oil inventories are rapidly drawing down, particularly for products like gasoline and jet fuel, due to the supply loss from the Middle East, the CEO said.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Try to find homes for these items under cabinets, in the pantry, or other places where they can easily be accessed without using up countertop real estate when not in use.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
-
This single observation suggests that, during strong wind conditions, each rotor would contribute about 1 MW of propulsion, even when using up its own 20 kW of spinning power.—
Srishti Gupta,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Eco effort The Pig group’s 25-mile menu keeps suppliers local, reducing food miles and packaging in the process.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
Its document generation tools guide founders through complex legal processes step by step, reducing errors and ensuring completeness.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
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Heard whole, the Barber-Menotti product is as gloriously over the top as anything that Bette Davis ever made with William Wyler—and Heartbeat’s reduction of it to its burning cinders is as just as effective as Glyndebourne’s grandly eloquent take.—
Russell Platt,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
-
In the northernmost part of Delaware, coal-burning steam locomotives still chug along historic rails, pulling travelers in antique passenger coaches.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Playing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playing%20out. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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