pan out
verb
panned out; panning out; pans out
: 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
Gary Neville
especially
: succeed
… the signs revealed that the experiment wasn't panning out … —Ronald Reagan
Ronald 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
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
Neither the cops nor the family were ever able to make contact with Simmons who was seen throwing a microwave, a lamp and several pots and pans out a rear window into the back yard.
—Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026
Considering the state of the roster and focused expectations echoed throughout OTAs, Katie Blackburn feels the decision has panned out thus far.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Though Porgy and Bess didn’t pan out, Spielberg further explored stage-to-screen adaptations with 2021’s West Side Story, which garnered seven Oscar nominations and clinched one for Supporting Actress for Ariana DeBose.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 14 June 2026
And while fans watch the love lives of their favorite characters like Maddie Townsend, played by JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Helen Decatur, played by Heather Headley, pan out on-screen, in real life, these actors have love stories of their own.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
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Theodore Parisienne, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026
Considering the state of the roster and focused expectations echoed throughout OTAs, Katie Blackburn feels the decision has panned out thus far.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Though Porgy and Bess didn’t pan out, Spielberg further explored stage-to-screen adaptations with 2021’s West Side Story, which garnered seven Oscar nominations and clinched one for Supporting Actress for Ariana DeBose.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 14 June 2026
And while fans watch the love lives of their favorite characters like Maddie Townsend, played by JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Helen Decatur, played by Heather Headley, pan out on-screen, in real life, these actors have love stories of their own.
—Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pan out
Cite this Entry
“Pan out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pan%20out. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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