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
Had things panned out differently last summer, Adrien Rabiot might have spent this season playing for Manchester United.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 9 June 2025
Although that particular opportunity didn't pan out, Harlyn, now seven, has since landed a small role in the film Girl in the Closet.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Whether that good word-of-mouth can lift up the opening will pan out tomorrow.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 7 June 2025
Things didn’t pan out that way as Williams found herself in the middle of this mess with Eady.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pan out
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Tom Williams, New York Times, 9 June 2025
Although that particular opportunity didn't pan out, Harlyn, now seven, has since landed a small role in the film Girl in the Closet.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
Whether that good word-of-mouth can lift up the opening will pan out tomorrow.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 7 June 2025
Things didn’t pan out that way as Williams found herself in the middle of this mess with Eady.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 5 June 2025
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 15 Jun. 2025.
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