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 out …

—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

Synonyms of pan out

• prove

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

Taking on complex problems that might not pan out? —Andy Molinsky, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026

Ultimately, Gorrin’s efforts on multiple lobbying fronts failed to pan out in the United States. —Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2026

None of those leads panned out until 1902 when new evidence placed the fugitive in Nome, Alaska, part of Klondike gold rush. —Richard Selcer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Jan. 2026

Things didn’t pan out with Javon Hargrave, Yetur Gross-Matos, Samson Ebukam, and Luke Farrell, the latter of whom was last year’s priciest addition. —Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

pan entry 2

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pan out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

pan out

verb

: turn out sense 5

especially : succeed