pan out

verb

panned out; panning out; pans out

intransitive verb

: 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

especially : succeed

… the signs revealed that the experiment wasn't panning out …

—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

Synonyms of pan out

• prove

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

From there, the Denver offense started to wake up, including a solid chance off a Carson Pickett corner kick that didn’t pan out. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 15 Mar. 2026

Democrats aren’t waiting to see how things pan out before going on the offensive. —Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 13 Mar. 2026

Regime change hasn’t panned out. —Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026

Laporta’s detractors point to his record of promises that didn't pan out. —ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

pan entry 2

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pan out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout

Kids Definition

pan out

verb

: turn out sense 5

especially : succeed