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
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The green leaves radiating from the base of each dandelion.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025 -
Comet Lemmon's tail was formed when heat radiating from the sun caused icy materials embedded in its ancient body to transform directly into gas, a process known as sublimation.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The corals come in shades of purple, green and yellow, with some featuring branching arms and others that look like delicate feathers.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
21 Oct. 2025
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This will promote branching and produce a fuller plant.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In 2025, Ohtani is likely to earn another MVP award, adding to his ever-expanding trophy cabinet.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Environmental advocates question the need for expanding fossil fuel resources a time when greenhouse gases from those fuels are worsening climate change.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At that time, voters approved extending a capital-improvement property tax at the current rate to fund six categories of projects, including a new Little Rock District Court facility.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Oct. 2025
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In 2019, during the 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA officers rose as workers missed paychecks, extending checkpoint wait times at some airports.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Billups was arrested less than nine hours after Portland’s season-opening season-opening loss at home, a game notably attended by the team’s current owner and a financier in the process of buying the franchise.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
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But Miller was back Wednesday in the Hornets’ 136-117 season-opening win over the Brooklyn Nets at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center — rising, soaring and dunking the ball with acrobatic impunity.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Their relationship is also unfolding against the backdrop of weakening Senate norms that in the past forced some semblance of bipartisanship.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Oct. 2025
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Offering strikingly intimate access to a real, unfolding love triangle, the film documents all sides of what is usually kept behind closed doors.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
24 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fanning (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanning%20%28out%29. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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