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Glite Dictionary
to game out

to game out

1 7.2
Think about different possible situations to plan what to do
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡeɪm aʊt/
  • Informal
translation icon : planear
  • Each campaign is gaming out the Electoral College map for ways to win without Ohio, as recent polling has put.
  • gamed out scenarios

Examples

  • One way they've been gaming out scenarios is through multi hour tabletop exercises.

  • We spent the afternoon gaming out different strategies for the project presentation.

  • And I try to game out risk and scenarios when I before I do something and assess the best strategy.

  • 6 months ago, we gamed out a scenario.

    Thirteen Days (2000)

  • Six months ago, we gamed out a scenario.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • I gamed out scenarios and tried to figure out how to handle difficult situations.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • We would not have been able to game out TikTok and Me Too and DoorDash and all these things that have transformed our lives, right?

  • But if I were going to actually put some effort into making a game out of this myself, then yeah, it wouldn't be a problem to set up the new grids.

    Blog text (8)

  • Of course, when you game out the possibility of nuclear war, you quickly realize that one side is quite victorious while the other is decimated and demoralized.

    Blog text (26)

  • Before making a decision, it's wise to game out the potential outcomes and risks involved.

Synonyms

to plan
vsto game out
∞ 1.0

To decide and arrange in advance how to do something

focuses on exploring varied scenarios and outcomes rather than general advance arrangements
to think out
vsto game out
  • Informal
45 3.9

To plan something carefully before you do it

focuses on discussing or simulating alternative outcomes rather than only internal thought
to map out
vsto game out
  • Informal
34 3.7

Plan something carefully in detail before doing it

emphasises considering different future scenarios and their consequences rather than fixed steps
to wargame
vsto game out
  • Specialized
1 6.2

To plan and test responses by acting out likely situations

is about discussing or simulating possible outcomes rather than generic arrangements

How Thorough

to simulate
  • Specialized
85 5.4
to game out
  • Informal
1 7.2
to rehearse
131 3.5
to speculate
254 4.8

Surface Forms

game out infinitive
gamed out past
gamed out past participle
gaming out present participle
games out third person singular

Morphology

game + out

The meaning can be partly deduced from the constituents: 'game' suggests play/simulate and the particle 'out' conveys carrying something through to its conclusion, so 'game out' can be understood as simulating or playing scenarios. However, the specific pragmatic sense 'plan or strategize by considering possible scenarios' is a phrasal-verb extension that may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The phrasal verb game out comes from the idea of a game where you try moves and play them out to see what happens. So to game out a situation means to 'plan' by imagining different possible outcomes and testing them in your mind or in a discussion.