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 five-story building will allow the Medical College to expand and centralize its cancer labs, equipment and staff now spread out across the campus at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center in Wauwatosa, said Gustavo Leone, director of the cancer center. —Sarah Volpenhein, jsonline.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Educators and school employees can get up to 12 free meals spread out across 3 boxes, plus free shipping. —Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 5 Aug. 2025

That’s when Trump signed into law a broad package of tax breaks and spending cuts that also included about $170 billion for border security and immigration enforcement, spread out over five years. —Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2025

This could only be explained if light waves were spreading out from each slit and interacting with one another, resulting in constructive and destructive interference. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 31 July 2025

Rhymes for spread out

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