Play out means to develop or unfold in a particular way: events, negotiations, an argument, the plot of a film. It almost always comes with a word saying how: how it plays out, plays out differently. The second meaning is to act out or replay a scene, including in your head: play out a conversation in your head.
Want to use play out in conversation?
Write a sentence — we'll show the mistakes right away and suggest how to say it more naturally.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
see how + situation + plays out; play out + well/badly/differently; play out + scene/conversation (in your head)
- Nobody knows how the new prices will play out, so let's review the sales figures in a month.
- Before the interview, I played out every possible question in my head.
- The film plays out over one summer in a small seaside town.
What changed
First versionGood luck with the new job, I hope everything plays out!
RevisionGood luck with the new job, I hope everything works out!
I hope everything plays out may feel like a complete wish, but play out describes how events develop and needs more detail: plays out well, plays out badly. To wish someone a good outcome, people say work out: I hope everything works out.
Played out without an object also means “overused, worn out”: That plot twist is completely played out. This isn't about events but about a trick or joke that everyone is tired of.
Your turn
Before calling my boss about a pay rise, I ___ the whole conversation in my head.
Show the answer
played out — The conversation was rehearsed in advance in your head, so played out. Played up means to exaggerate, or to misbehave or act up (about a child or a machine), and it doesn't fit rehearsing in your head.
Describe a situation whose outcome isn't clear yet: a move, negotiations, a new project. Say when you'll know how it ends.
I've applied for a transfer to our Berlin office, and we'll see how it plays out after the budget meeting in March.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.