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
-
Dealing with rage wouldn’t seem the term most applicable to Estévez, who is as amiable and animated as anyone in the Royals’ clubhouse and radiates a room-energizing presence.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
27 June 2025 -
The panoramic terrace creates visual continuity between interior and exterior, while the club’s signature infinity pool radiates notes of color and joy, like an echo to the location’s musical appeal.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
Verb
-
The downgrade to a notch above junk was based on loans extended to countries that have defaulted on their obligations.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
25 June 2025
-
The shift extends beyond just remote work opportunities.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
Embed polls, preference tags or branching logic to gather data and tailor future sends.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
For even more perks, try growing several rows of branching sunflowers as a natural windbreak to keep cornstalks from toppling over in windy weather.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 June 2025
Verb
-
Most significantly, 62% say their responsibilities have expanded significantly beyond their core reporting roles, with 37% reporting layoffs or buyouts at their organizations in the past year.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
Hackers over the years have expanded their target list to include cities and municipalities, hospitals, hotels and casinos, as reported by CBS News' 60 Minutes.—
Anne Marie D. Lee,
CBS News,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
The next step for the astronomers will be to explore how hot gas flows through NGC 253, changing composition and helping to create new stars.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 June 2025
-
Profits flow through Chinese underground banks to the Chinese Communist Party’s $210 billion state tobacco empire, helping fund naval expansion and ballistic-missile programs.—
Edgar Domenech,
Sun Sentinel,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
However, the original equation was derived from predominantly mammalian data.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 June 2025
-
Of that amount, $1.2 billion was derived from membership fees alone—accounting for nearly half of the operating profit, and primarily recurring.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
The offshore yuan was little changed on the news and China’s equity futures were yet to open.—
Danny Bakst,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
-
The grocery store is expanding at breakneck speed in the U.S. and recently announced plans to open 225 new locations in 2025.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
Instead, prune potentilla when the plants are dormant in winter and clip back the thickest stems all the way to the ground since these stems usually won’t rebloom.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 June 2025
-
Here's how to pull poison ivy: Start by clipping off any above-ground stems using sharp shears.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
17 June 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 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share