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
But the tower’s turnaround apparently didn’t pan out as Shvo had hoped — with him still at the helm, soaking up the credit.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Mar. 2026
But for Dobson’s red card in second-half stoppage time, who knows how things may have panned out?
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Other attempts to relocate the museum to a bigger space never panned out, including a 2002 plan to raise $6 million to take over a 20,000-square-foot building along Pacific Coast Highway.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
At that time, no one knew how the treatment would pan out.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pan out
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Kim Velsey, Curbed, 9 Mar. 2026
But for Dobson’s red card in second-half stoppage time, who knows how things may have panned out?
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2026
Other attempts to relocate the museum to a bigger space never panned out, including a 2002 plan to raise $6 million to take over a 20,000-square-foot building along Pacific Coast Highway.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 5 Mar. 2026
At that time, no one knew how the treatment would pan out.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 4 Mar. 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 12 Mar. 2026.
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