as in criticizing
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
virtually all the movie critics have panned this latest sequel in a tired series
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Recent Examples of panning
Sitting in the audience, Styles' mere presence repeatedly distracted the actor as the camera kept panning away from him for the beloved pop-rock star.
—
Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
The Neo is a product that was once unthinkable from a company that spent years panning the idea of netbooks and never bothered to make a budget laptop of its own.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
The camera then kept panning to Styles, detracting from Gosling’s monologue about earth on the Studio 8H stage.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2026
There’s no camera panning the panic and no close-up to guide the emotion — only sound.
—Jordaan Ashley, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026
Saldaña was behind the camera for the rest of her vacation photos and videos, sharing a brief look at her silhouette on the beach before panning over to her three lookalike sons playing in the clear blue water.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
The indictment further alleges that Comer went live on Facebook during the chase, briefly showing police lights flashing behind him before panning to a speedometer reading 105 miles per hour.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Designed for headphone listening, blue fifty-six revels in the subtle manipulation of space, panning elements into a taut omnidirectional tapestry.
—Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
This distinction has helped separate casual use of public lands—such as private citizens panning for gold, which anyone can do freely—from commercial activities.
—Lauren Steele, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
The Neo is a product that was once unthinkable from a company that spent years panning the idea of netbooks and never bothered to make a budget laptop of its own.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
The camera then kept panning to Styles, detracting from Gosling’s monologue about earth on the Studio 8H stage.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2026
There’s no camera panning the panic and no close-up to guide the emotion — only sound.
—Jordaan Ashley, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026
Saldaña was behind the camera for the rest of her vacation photos and videos, sharing a brief look at her silhouette on the beach before panning over to her three lookalike sons playing in the clear blue water.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
The indictment further alleges that Comer went live on Facebook during the chase, briefly showing police lights flashing behind him before panning to a speedometer reading 105 miles per hour.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Designed for headphone listening, blue fifty-six revels in the subtle manipulation of space, panning elements into a taut omnidirectional tapestry.
—Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
This distinction has helped separate casual use of public lands—such as private citizens panning for gold, which anyone can do freely—from commercial activities.
—Lauren Steele, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panning
Verb
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The Israeli military later posted a second message in Farsi, noting the head of Iran's judiciary was at the rally and criticizing Iran for blocking many from seeing their warning, as authorities in Iran have almost completely shut down internet access.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
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The Israeli military later posted a second message in Farsi, noting the head of Iran’s judiciary was at the rally and criticizing Iran for blocking many from seeing their warning.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mamdani and other officials have warned the city is in dire financial straits, largely blaming chronic underbudgeting under the previous mayoral administration.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
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The villagers start blaming the recluse ‘witch’ of the village who is known to practice black magic.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And while criticism of insurance companies was bipartisan, Republicans and Democrats also blamed one another for the crisis, with the GOP faulting Obamacare and Democrats accusing Republicans of using the hearings to deflect from their own inaction to address rising premiums.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
22 Jan. 2026
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Some Havana Syndrome victims have spent more than a decade trying to draw attention to their cases, often faulting the government for failing to provide enough support or access to specialized medical care.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But while Leo has refrained from condemning the war, his bishops have not.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Mar. 2026
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International backlash has intensified, with the United Nations General Assembly condemning Israel’s campaign and aid blockade, and groups like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and Save the Children alleging serious legal violations.—
Ken Barnes,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But there were also reports of protests in some parts of Iran on Sunday denouncing the war and calling for retribution.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
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Paris also saw a small counter-protest Sunday by left-wing groups denouncing ″American imperialism″ and warning of broader war.—
Elissa Jorgensen,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The 13-year-old allegedly punched Hernandez-Lopez multiple times in the face, knocking him unconscious before deputies arrived, the sheriff’s office said.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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Monaco, despite being reduced to 10 men in both legs, also came unexpectedly close to knocking them out of the play-offs.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panning. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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