pan out

verb

panned out; panning out; pans out

intransitive verb

: to happen, end, or develop in a particular way : turn out
I'm really enjoying how this is all panning out now and it is so exciting and intriguing to watch and find out what happens next …Gary Neville
especially : succeed
… the signs revealed that the experiment wasn't panning outRonald Reagan
She [Dixie Hollins] noted that learning about arts and entertainment fills her creative side and works as a great plan B if her goal of working in the medical field doesn't pan out. Karin Davis-Thompson

Examples of pan out in a Sentence

the eagerly anticipated kayaking trip never panned out the investment scheme didn't quite pan out
Recent Examples on the Web Just in case its big internal bets don't pan out, Amazon invested $4 billion in another promising AI company last year, Anthropic. Emily Dreibelbis, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024 The camera then pans out to reveal the breathtaking location — a 663-foot sinkhole known as Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas — where the actor has been learning to build a tolerance to carbon dioxide as part of his training. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024 In this case, Delta's innovation didn't pan out, and they've been forced to once again mimic American and United's boarding processes. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024 That didn’t pan out, with Soriano getting just one out in the sixth and forcing Schumaker to pivot. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024 At the same time, expect that some changes may not pan out. Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024 Unfortunately, the idea of a warm climate for players to exercise and train in has not always panned out. Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024 Related article Twitter descends into chaos as news outlets and brands lose verification The return of the free blue check may be a sign that the blue check subscription business hasn’t panned out the way that Musk hoped. Clare Duffy, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024 But the technology isn’t panning out to be as economically feasible as once thought. John Ainger, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pan out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

pan entry 2

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pan out was in 1865

Dictionary Entries Near pan out

Cite this Entry

“Pan out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pan%20out. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

pan out

verb
: turn out sense 5
especially : succeed
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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