pan out

verb

Definition of pan outnext
1
as in to prove
to come to be the eagerly anticipated kayaking trip never panned out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to succeed
to turn out as planned or desired the investment scheme didn't quite pan out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pan out The mayor said the City Council's ideas for balancing the budget haven't panned out. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Few free agents have panned out With the exceptions of edge rusher Josh Uche and safety Zayne Anderson, most of the free agents Miami signed this offseason turned out to be mediocre NFL players. — Omar Kelly august 24, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026 Vitello wanted Smith to face the right-handed hitting Caleb Durbin before going to lefty Sam Hentges, but the move didn’t pan out as Smith walked Durbin on four pitches. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026 When a project doesn’t pan out as hoped, as inevitably happens from time to time, figure out what went wrong, identify the teachable moments, and share them. — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pan out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pan out
  1. prove
  2. succeed
  3. go
  4. go over
  5. click
  6. work out
Verb
  • Getting Brown proved to be the move that unlocked Philadelphia’s ability to recruit James.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The height variations alone generated strong ESM signals, proving that false data could appear out of thin air.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of prove
Verb
  • The quest for 500 million flies The only way the US has succeeded in eradicating screwworm is by breeding millions of flies, sterilizing them using radiation and dropping them in areas with infestations.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Yet too many adults focus on winning and chasing college scholarships, driving up the costs for families and pressure on children to specialize in one sport and succeed.
    — Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of succeed
Verb
  • Slavia Prague The Czech champions briefly threatened an upset against Barcelona in the league phase last season, going ahead in sub-zero temperatures in Prague before the Catalan side turned up the heat to win 4-2.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Okamoto went 4 for 5 with a double and broke a 3-all tie in the seventh with an RBI single.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of go
Verb
  • Erin goes over to talk to Jessel, who explains what is going on.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Often during road trips, first-base coach Anthony Sanders will sit at a player’s locker, going over video of pickoff moves for that day’s pitcher.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of go over
Verb
  • Then the user is instructed to copy the text and paste it into the Windows Run, PowerShell, or macOS terminal and click Enter.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Scroll below to read about Deadline’s reviews out of TIFF 2026, and click on the link to read the full versions.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of click
Verb
  • George Vanderploeg, a townhouse broker at Douglas Elliman, pointed out that $1,600 or $1,700 per square foot — what 80 Horatio’s sales price works out to — isn’t bad, especially for a 25-footer.
    — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The 76ers have a lot to work on and a lot to work out, and none of it will be solved overnight.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of work out

Browse Nearby Words

panoramic
pan out
pans
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pan out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pan%20out. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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