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
-
Hearts radiated from her headpiece to her hem, with a single heart placed near her pelvis.—
Anika Burgess,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026 -
Meanwhile, Kidman radiated in a double-breasted suit dress with a completely sheer shredded ballgown skirt.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The hotel dining venues occasionally extend their hours to accommodate theatergoers spilling out of the Majestic Theatre across the street.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The Duval County School Board will vote on holding a November referendum to extend a 1-mill property tax.—
Steve Patterson,
Florida Times-Union,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
An animal can look the same for hundreds of millions of years and still be branching into distinct species at the genetic level.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Mar. 2026
-
There’s nothing like it out there (for now, Exodus is coming for that crown), and its branching narrative and engaging roster of companions are among the genre’s best.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The bill expanded background checks for gun purchasers under the age of 21 and also provided federal money for state red flag laws.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The flagship Semafor World Economy, anchored in Washington DC, is the largest annual gathering of top global CEOs in North America, and Semafor’s convening on emerging economies, The Next Three Billion, is held annually at UNGA and expanded this year to South Africa, East Africa, and UAE.—
Rachel Keidan,
semafor.com,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In experiments, heaters made from these fibers delivered significantly higher heating power per unit mass than traditional metal-alloy elements when exposed to flowing gases.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Sweeney admitted that watching teams around him in the standings making moves – the Islanders landed Schenn, the Blue Jackets got Garland and Detroit acquired Faulk – got the competitive juices flowing.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Iran derives its power from an effective intelligence service that exploits the weakness of its neighbors, a ballistic missile program that holds every country in the region at risk and a network of militia proxies.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The formula leans on fatty acids derived from castor oil to help hydrate the scalp and reinforce each strand, creating a good foundation for volume.—
Michelle Rostamian,
Allure,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That’s why countries around the world agreed in December 2025 to add more than 70 shark and ray species to an international wildlife trade treaty’s list for full or partial protection.—
Gareth J. Fraser,
The Conversation,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Next month the agency will open a community engagement center, where residents can drop by during office hours to ask questions and get information.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
-
But Adebayo and Ware again opened Thursday’s game in separate units.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
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 8 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
