1
as in spreading (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 radiating
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 fanning (out)
Verb
-
For patrician statesmen, grandeur is usually understated, radiating restraint rather than gawk-inspiring shows of brazen wealth.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026 -
On the water, the 55-year-old mother seems to come alive, her adventurous spirit radiating outward, lighting her from the inside out.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
From there, MacPherson worked with boxing coach Graham Shaw before branching into Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, training each discipline in isolation before combining them into a cohesive MMA skill set.—
Sean Sennett,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2026
-
These open-branching shrubs make an informal hedge that requires little pruning.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The executive director of Fisherman's Wharf Community Benefit District provided a statement, saying the wharf is evolving, new businesses are opening, and the area is expanding in ways that make Fisherman's Wharf more accessible and engaging.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
These are jobs not created, customers not served, communities that don’t reap the benefits of expanding local business.—
Walter Rowen,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The joint Real Housewives of Atlanta alums are extending their buzzy Queen & King of Reality Tour with stops in Birmingham, Tampa, Dallas and Houston, to take place this May and June, The Hollywood Reporter can exclusively reveal.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2026
-
So Delta decided to up the ante with its new design, extending the lie-flat bed by more than three inches for even more comfort—for a total of six-and-a-half feet of space when fully extended.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This desktop app provides a faster way to access Lens than opening your browser, and Google's marketing materials show the tool proving useful for someone identifying a piece of classic artwork in a PDF.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Shortly after the opening bell, the pan-European Stoxx 600 index was seen trading broadly flat, with regional bourses and sectors painting a mixed picture.—
Joseph Wilkins,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Virginia bluebell buds are also unfolding into pink dangling flowers.—
Sheryl De Vore,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Advertisement That tension is unfolding as Congress returns from a two-week recess, having been largely absent from the most volatile early phase of the conflict.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
14 Apr. 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
“Fanning (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanning%20%28out%29. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
