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
If none of these private stations pans out, the only LEO outpost left when the ISS crashes back to Earth will likely be Tiangong, the three-module station that China finished building in late 2022.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Feb. 2026
At first blush, the predictions in Clash seem to have panned out.
—Josef Joffe, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
Investors are closely watching how that will pan out, especially as Novo has lost its first-mover advantage before.
—Annika Kim Constantino,elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Instead, her downhill crash in Milan‑Cortina has become a reminder that millennial nostalgia can sell a story, but reality can pan out differently.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pan out
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.
Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Feb. 2026
At first blush, the predictions in Clash seem to have panned out.
—Josef Joffe, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
Investors are closely watching how that will pan out, especially as Novo has lost its first-mover advantage before.
—Annika Kim Constantino,elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
Instead, her downhill crash in Milan‑Cortina has become a reminder that millennial nostalgia can sell a story, but reality can pan out differently.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 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 18 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
