1
as in stretches (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 branches
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 fans (out)
Verb
-
His demise, paired with the disappearance of mobster-type Nicky Caccimelio (Bobby Cannavale), sets the trio on the first phase of their adventures, which inevitably branches into fresh red herrings in customary Only Murders fashion.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Their friendship extends beyond the classroom.—
Michael Butler,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
-
For Brady, the lesson extends far beyond football.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
But while others are outraged on his behalf, and the audience continues to litigate the show’s end, Colbert remains positive and radiates gratitude.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
His palpable belief in fatherhood as a life’s work radiates off the screen.—
Vikram Murthi,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The move aims to improve traceability and accountability as China’s humanoid robotics industry rapidly expands.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
-
Yes—putting metaphorical pen to page is fundamental, but so, too, is nurturing that which expands my literary capacity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
This disease causes misshapen flowers that don’t open fully and strange-looking, thicker, thornier stems that can form red bunches of shoots and foliage on the ends.—
Libby Monteith Minor,
Southern Living,
16 May 2026
-
The revenue boost stems mainly from taxes on high-income residents’ stock gains, which have soared with financial markets on the promise of AI.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Like the movie, the series begins as a deeply human story grounded in relationships that gradually unfolds into a large-scale, epic adventure.—
Ed Meza,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
Not every summer movie needs to be a mystery that unfolds hallway after hallway, with a creature hiding around every corner ready to pop out.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The site also includes a seven-day forecast, outage maps, preparation tips and information about community resource centers that PG&E opens during shutoffs.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
16 May 2026
-
One door closes and another opens.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
16 May 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
“Fans (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fans%20%28out%29. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
