1
as in to stretch (out)
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area
the accordionist smoothly fanned out the bellows of his instrument as he played
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to radiate
to extend outwards from or as if from a central point
most of the city's subway lines fan out from this central station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fan (out)
Verb
-
The immense gravity of these central black holes generates huge amounts of friction in the accretion disk, which becomes very hot and radiates energy strongly, especially in ultraviolet wavelengths.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
9 July 2025 -
Juliana Ross hopes to amplify LGBTQ+ voices Julian (Juliana) Ross found his calling in elementary school, drawn to the confidence and beauty that drag queens radiated.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Verb
-
Robert drove in Benintendi with a single, extending the lead to 3-0.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
19 July 2025
-
The left-wing conversion extended the Bulls’ lead to 33-14 at the seven-minute mark in the second.—
Andy Theobald,
Kansas City Star,
19 July 2025
Verb
-
The firm branched into different regions like the Southeast and Texas.—
James Nelson,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
-
The surplus of photons triggered a signal through my optic nerves, and in a millisecond, a web of electrical signals reached across my brain, branching into billions of neurons and trillions of synapses.—
Michael Jones McKean,
The Atlantic,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
Mari said the strike has now expanded to include Teamsters in California and Washington state, and that upwards of 4,000 union members are now in the midst of a work stoppage.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
14 July 2025
-
Prime-One intends to serve nearby towns as well, with the founders saying the plan is to serve 4,000 homes with the initial build and then expand further.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
Both the Sai and the Kok rivers flow into the Mekong, as does the Ruak, where unsafe levels of arsenic have also been found.—
Michael Sullivan,
NPR,
12 July 2025
-
The death toll has rose to over 120 people killed since heavy rainfall overwhelmed the Guadalupe River and flowed through homes and summer camps in the early morning hours of July 4.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
12 July 2025
Verb
-
Employers believe that workers in specific departments, like sales and marketing (85%) and human resources (78%), will derive significant value from AI implementation.—
Rachel Wells,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
The rest derives from endowment payout, contracts and grants, the provision of services (especially room and board), and the like.—
Clifford Ando,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
Verb
-
This zipper lock ensures that no one can open your backpack, keeping your belongings safe and secure.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
20 July 2025
-
To kick off the day after doors opened at 12:30, local opening acts Laamar and Raffaella, with her delightful poppy earworms, commanded sizable and particularly engaged audiences.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
20 July 2025
Verb
-
The disease typically progresses from the base of the plant upward on leaves and stems.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
12 July 2025
-
Forming a slowly spreading colony of 24-inch-tall, gracefully arching stems, plants produce lightly fragrant white spring flowers that hang like little white bells from the underside of each stem.—
Paul Cappiello,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Fan (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fan%20%28out%29. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share