spread out

phrasal verb

spread out; spreading out; spreads out

1

: to open, arrange, or place (something) over a large area

He spread out the map on the table.

He spread the cards out on the table.

The cards were spread out across the table.

2

: to be open, arranged, or extended over a large area

The city is spread out over a wide area.

3

: to move (parts of the body) outward or away from each other

Spread your arms out.

There's no room on the couch to spread yourself out.

4

: to divide up (something) over a period of time or among members of a group

They spread the work out among the committee members.

The course is spread out over two semesters.

5

: to move apart from the other members of a group especially to search an area

The police spread out to search the area faster.

Examples of spread out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The lengthened story gave Hawley a chance to spread out the horror a bit and infuse the narrative with more dramatic beats to propel the narrative in an entirely different way than audiences have typically seen from the Alien franchise. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 25 July 2025

These things have been around for this long, really spreading out the mythology of Wakanda. —EW.com, 24 July 2025

What’s cool about the Hoosier is that it’s spread out in medium-sized blocks. —Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 23 July 2025

The hotel features 149 rooms, suites, private apartments, and four restaurants spread out over its 23 floors. —Tiffany Leigh, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025

Rhymes for spread out

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