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
The camera pans out, and the shape of the Pixel 9 Pro appears and turns around to show off the now-standard Pixel camera bar across the upper back.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 18 July 2024
If that probability pans out, the red crabs will struggle to stay fed and hydrated through the dry season, and face a more treacherous wet season migration and breeding period.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 11 July 2024
If singing didn’t pan out, Taylor Swift could’ve made her name in babysitting.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 9 July 2024
Instead of putting the grind as a nonnegotiable in your dream life, why not remove that overexertion from the equation and see how lovely your life can pan out?
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pan out 
Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 18 July 2024
If that probability pans out, the red crabs will struggle to stay fed and hydrated through the dry season, and face a more treacherous wet season migration and breeding period.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 11 July 2024
If singing didn’t pan out, Taylor Swift could’ve made her name in babysitting.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 9 July 2024
Instead of putting the grind as a nonnegotiable in your dream life, why not remove that overexertion from the equation and see how lovely your life can pan out?
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pan out
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 26 Jul. 2024.
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