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
as in to radiate
to extend outwards from or as if from a central point
most of the city's subway lines fan out from this central station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fan (out)
Verb
-
These typically present as recurring lower abdominal pain that can radiate to the lower back.—
Caitlin Pagán,
Verywell Health,
28 Apr. 2025 -
Garden centers that can protect tender plants can tip pots over and cover them with a thick horticultural felt, which gives the plants a few degrees of protection due to the cover blocking frost and trapping some warmth radiating off the ground.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
President Trump, Vice President Vance React to First American Pope Announcement World leaders across continents extended messages of hope, unity and spiritual solidarity Thursday after Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
-
Instead of entirely exempting new residences from rent control, Yang’s amendment would have extended an existing 20-year exemption for new construction, approved by the previous council in 2022, and converted it into a 30-year exemption, mirroring the length of a construction mortgage.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2025
Verb
-
The route followed the main boulevard leading to the Independence Palace before branching into city streets and passed the U.S. Consulate.—
Aniruddha Ghosal,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2025
-
In 2023, the pair branched into narrative movies with the Oscar nominated biopic Nyad, which starred Annette Bening as real-life marathon swimmer Diana Nyad.—
Danielle Bacher,
People.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Wave has since expanded its family of petunias with brands such as Tidal Wave, Easy Wave, and Shock Wave.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 May 2025
-
Known for its extreme violence, the group has expanded into Central America and various regions in the U.S. Law enforcement agencies have linked MS-13 to numerous violent crimes including murder, human trafficking, extortion, and drug distribution.—
Jasmine Baehr,
FOXNews.com,
3 May 2025
Verb
-
At the Big Ass Stadium Tour kick off, Post Malone and Jelly Roll kept the anthems and beer flowing for 3 ½ hours at Rice-Eccles Stadium on April 29.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
-
As Venus harmonizes with Mars on May 11, expect passion and creativity to flow freely in your personal life and relationships, while the sun’s debut in Gemini lights up your ninth house of adventure and self-discovery.—
Staff Author,
People.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
In 2022, the new Labor government committed to net-zero targets and immediately began the work of driving carbon emissions down in a country which derives a significant portion of its wealth from extracting fossil fuels.—
Hilary Whiteman and Angus Watson,
CNN Money,
3 May 2025
-
Eli Lilly began mass-producing insulin derived from cows and pigs.—
Discover Magazine,
Discover Magazine,
3 May 2025
Verb
-
Perry’s Steakhouse: The restaurant chain, which will open early (11 a.m.) on May 11, has a Mother's Day meal ($49) that includes a 10oz.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
10 May 2025
-
Listen to this article In the heart of East Village, about as far from Petco Park as first base is from second base, sits Choi’s, a modern Korean fusion restaurant that opened a little more than a year ago.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2025
Verb
-
Yet both stem, at least in part, from the same awe of space—a desire to reach beyond Earth’s bounds and to be part of something bigger.—
Ashley Case,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Social-media companies try to stem cartels’ activity on their sites, but their efforts have been sporadic and uncoordinated.—
Antón Barba-Kay,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 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.
Cite this Entry
“Fan (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fan%20%28out%29. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share