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 crown jewel offers three bedrooms and bathrooms spread out over 2,276 square-feet of living space.
—
Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2024
This winter, the thinner, less voluminous ice apparently was able to spread out and cover more territory than in some previous years.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2024
But unlike a lot of areas in the park, they’re quite spread out and well spaced.
—Maggie Downs, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The set also includes one Mirabel figure and 15 pieces of furniture spread out over the three floors and seven rooms.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 23 Mar. 2024
When teams are spread out rather than consistently working together in the same space, there’s a greater chance that workers will feel disconnected from each other and disengaged from the company when they’re not properly managed, experts say.
—Trey Williams, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
And not all at once — the cuts will be spread out over two years.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
With the first option, the jackpot amount is spread out over 30 years as an annual payment.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
Modern humans spread out from Africa on multiple occasions more than 100,000 years ago, but people without African ancestry are tied genetically to a dispersal that occurred within the last 100,000 years.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2024
This winter, the thinner, less voluminous ice apparently was able to spread out and cover more territory than in some previous years.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 31 Mar. 2024
But unlike a lot of areas in the park, they’re quite spread out and well spaced.
—Maggie Downs, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
The set also includes one Mirabel figure and 15 pieces of furniture spread out over the three floors and seven rooms.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 23 Mar. 2024
When teams are spread out rather than consistently working together in the same space, there’s a greater chance that workers will feel disconnected from each other and disengaged from the company when they’re not properly managed, experts say.
—Trey Williams, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
And not all at once — the cuts will be spread out over two years.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
With the first option, the jackpot amount is spread out over 30 years as an annual payment.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
Modern humans spread out from Africa on multiple occasions more than 100,000 years ago, but people without African ancestry are tied genetically to a dispersal that occurred within the last 100,000 years.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spread out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spread out
Cite this Entry
“Spread out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spread%20out. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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