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
Those are strategically spread out in California, Ohio, Virginia and Oregon to deliver fast services to users across the country.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Over time, this trail can spread out along the orbit, creating a dense cloud of material.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
As it has been reported, the trend spread out around the city within a few years, mostly through the agency of teenagers eager to have their tags known all around the city.
—Antonio Sergio Bessa, Curbed, 20 Oct. 2025
Children who would once have been spread out among nine different schools now attend School 105 in shifts because so many families are desperate for an offline-school experience.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spread 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.
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
Over time, this trail can spread out along the orbit, creating a dense cloud of material.
—Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
As it has been reported, the trend spread out around the city within a few years, mostly through the agency of teenagers eager to have their tags known all around the city.
—Antonio Sergio Bessa, Curbed, 20 Oct. 2025
Children who would once have been spread out among nine different schools now attend School 105 in shifts because so many families are desperate for an offline-school experience.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for spread out
Cite this Entry
“Spread out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spread%20out. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share