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
Regarding the quarterbacks who’ll drive the telecasts and stir up giddiness among fans, the sad truth is this: half of the four to six expected to be chosen won’t pan out.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024
This could pan out in different ways across Europe, but fundamentally, farmers could risk losing agricultural land in the process of its restoration.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 26 Mar. 2024
The way things panned out for the DCEU, and the significance of this data — three of the worst worst franchise falls in history were DCEU films from the last four years, remember — is further evidence the DCU might have an uphill fight.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
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
Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Apr. 2024
This could pan out in different ways across Europe, but fundamentally, farmers could risk losing agricultural land in the process of its restoration.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 26 Mar. 2024
The way things panned out for the DCEU, and the significance of this data — three of the worst worst franchise falls in history were DCEU films from the last four years, remember — is further evidence the DCU might have an uphill fight.
—Mark Hughes, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
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
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.
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 2 May. 2024.
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