fan (out)

1
as in to stretch (out)
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area the accordionist smoothly fanned out the bellows of his instrument as he played

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fan (out)
Verb
  • On the other hand, any fleeting gesture of affection or vulnerability — like Chandan standing in Shoaib’s path during an Islamophobic assault — makes love practically radiate through the screen.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 21 May 2025
  • Crammed with snippets of our lives and yours, radiating with your Catholic impulse toward God's mercy.
    Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • The consequences extend far beyond teachers themselves; students suffer the most.
    Lakeisha Wells Palmer, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 June 2025
  • The Pacers finally broke open a close game by opening the second half on a 9-0 run, then extended their lead to 78-63 courtesy of three straight 3-pointers — two from Thomas Bryant and one from Andrew Nembhard.
    Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025
Verb
  • After pursuing a broadcasting degree at Syracuse, her minor in leadership led her to a career as an HR executive, first working with colleges before branching into corporate leadership and DEI programs.
    Janeé Bolden, Essence, 16 May 2025
  • Regular trimming helps control height and width, improves air circulation, and stimulates branching for a fuller appearance.
    Debbie Wolfe, Popular Science, 8 May 2025
Verb
  • Dowling’s donation comes as Northwell, New York’s largest health care provider, is actively lobbying the city government on a plan to expand its Lenox Hill Hospital complex on the Upper East Side, filings show.
    Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
  • The terminal was expanded in 2023. 2012: Paul Konerko hit a tie-breaking three-run home run — his 400th with the Chicago White Sox — in a 12-6 win over the Cleveland Indians.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • The iconic teen drama kept emotions flowing from 1998 to 2003.
    Jen Juneau, People.com, 24 May 2025
  • The bigger the bottleneck, the more freely the contents of the bottle flow through it.
    Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • Naturally derived emulsifiers may not always be better.
    Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 30 May 2025
  • This includes Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of France, an heiress to the L’Oreal fortune who is worth $86 billion, by far the largest fortune to derive from a pure beauty company.
    Jemima McEvoy, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • O’Sullivan went to his ace to open the regional with his freshman jitters behind him.
    Jackson Castellano, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 June 2025
  • Building staff members have key cards to open the bins, which are emptied three times per week.
    Emma G. Fitzsimmons, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Verb
  • To extend the bloom time of many cultivars, deadhead spent blooms, pinch back stems to encourage branching and more bloom buds, and meet the plant's water, light, and nutrient needs throughout the growing season.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
  • Indiana’s 15-year pause in executions stemmed largely from difficulty obtaining lethal injection drugs.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fan (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fan%20%28out%29. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!