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
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In the Project Hail Mary universe, all life in our solar system’s sector of the Milky Way comes from an ancient ancestor of Astrophage that long ago radiated out from Tau Ceti, Weir says.—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
20 Mar. 2026 -
Those words — simple, dignified, and private — feel fitting for a man whose on-screen persona radiated quiet strength and unwavering principle.—
Hanna Wickes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Bruins star winger David Pastrnak extended his point streak against Montreal to 14 games, tying Bobby Orr for the longest by a Bruins player against the Canadiens.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
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Ahead of a meeting in Brussels, the European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc's foreign ministers would discuss possibly extending a naval mission that protects ships in the Red Sea to the Strait of Hormuz, without giving any details.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The current inscribes some victims’ skin with mysterious scarlike patterns called Lichtenberg figures, which resemble the limbs of a barren tree—or the branching structure of lightning itself.—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
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Prune to establish a strong structure of old wood and branching to support a healthy plant with new green growth.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Other bank expansions in Charlotte Several other banks have been expanding in the Charlotte region, too.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
17 Mar. 2026
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Production plans call for an initial deployment of dozens of units this year, scaling to thousands annually as manufacturing capacity expands.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rebecca Morin Greeted with bouquets of flowers and dozens of flowing Iranian flags, Iran’s national women’s soccer team was welcomed home to Tehran after some players initially tried to seek asylum in Australia.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
21 Mar. 2026
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Great gameplan from a great coach, nice adjustments throughout, and the offense flowed so nicely all night.—
American-Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Rick Baker Much of modern Hollywood makeup derives from techniques created by Rick Baker, who innovated the field of special effects makeup.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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Weeks later, eight individuals and two entities, including North Korean bankers and institutions, were sanctioned for laundering funds derived from cybercrime and IT worker fraud schemes.—
Lisa Cavazuti,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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The real American sub, a succulent monster assembled by an artisanal stacker of deli meats and square cheeses, only hit the Old Country when Tommy’s Sandwiches opened in King’s Cross, central London, in January 2026.—
Dominic Green,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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The backstory Businessman Juan Rosa from Lanzarote opened the 7 Islas Hotel in Madrid in 2002, wanting to create a welcoming home away from home for Canary Islanders (the seven islands).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fan (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fan%20%28out%29. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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