fan out

phrasal verb

fanned out; fanning out; fans out
: to spread apart or to cause (something) to spread apart
The police fanned out across the park in search of the suspect.
He fanned out his fingers.

Examples of fan out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In response, cartel members fanned out across the country, setting fire to vehicles and buildings, authorities said. Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026 Instead, Mont Sutton fans out with more than 200 trail junctions, turning each run into a choose-your-own-adventure kind of experience. Claire Sibonney, Travel + Leisure, 23 Feb. 2026 The album subsequently made ardent fans out of Axl Rose, Billy Corgan, and Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, who’ve all sung its praises. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026 All 15 Arizona teams are squeezed into the Phoenix area, but the other half are fanned out in four distinct nooks of Florida. Jennifer Borresen, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fan out

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Cite this Entry

“Fan out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan%20out. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.

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