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

With 35,000 copies sold, spread out over 15 years, and with royalties paid out in a manner that would have elicited a fist pump from Ebenezer Scrooge, the income couldn’t support someone even as scrimping as Perlin. —Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024

With the first option, the jackpot amount is spread out over 30 years as an annual payment. —The Arizona Republic, 21 Apr. 2024

The Beijing Film Panorama program is screening films spread out across Beijing, as well as nearby Tianjin and the Xiong’an New Area, included among them Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, the Denis Villeneuve directed sci-fi epic Blade Runner 2049 and the Quentin Tarantino classic Pulp Fiction. —Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024

Several users who were preparing to take possession of the EV—from states as spread out as California, North Carolina, and Texas—all reported being informed by the automaker that their delivery was being delayed with only the vaguest of explanations, if any. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024

There is no direct cost to specific customers who have lead service lines replaced, but some of the expenses are spread out among all ratepayers. —Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Apr. 2024

There is one plant called Pancake that only gets to be one foot tall but will spread out two feet. —Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 13 Apr. 2024

Presented, as always, by the UCLA Film & Television Archive, the 2024 edition is spread out over 15 programs. —Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024

Atlanta mayor, City Council approve millions of dollars for affordable housing Instead of turning to voters, last year the Atlanta City Council was able to approve hundreds of millions of dollars for affordable housing, through a bond spread out over the better part of a decade. —USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024