panning out

verb

present participle of pan out
1
as in proving
to come to be the eagerly anticipated kayaking trip never panned out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in succeeding
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 panning out The quirky sci-fi comedy starring Diedrich Bader and Chris Parnell did not end up panning out for Spelling. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Aug. 2026 There were theories that 007 First Light could slide in as one of the sleeper hits of 2026, and, at least critically, that idea seems to be panning out. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 Venable bounced from the Guardians to the Phillies to the Dodgers after Preller — fresh off the Matt Kemp/Justin Upton/Wil Myers infusion not panning out — traded him to the Rangers. — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026 No one has any idea how these guys will end up panning out, which is exactly what happened when the Birds selected quarterback Donovan McNabb with the second overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026 Alphabet, too, was left for dead by the Street on fears that management wasn't executing and the company's AI strategy wasn't panning out to the point the were being overtaken by others. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026 The Guthrie family is aware that the investigation might need to be transitioned and has been briefed on the fact that certain leads have not been panning out, the sources said. — Luke Barr, ABC News, 20 Feb. 2026 That is panning out with Knowles and Fanendo Adi, who will take over for Jeremy Hall as head coach of the Loons’ developmental team, MNUFC2. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2026 Vrána not panning out hurt the Mantha return some, and many of the second-rounders Detroit acquired didn’t materialize either. — Max Bultman, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panning out
  1. proving
  2. succeeding
  3. coming out
  4. going over
  5. falling out
  6. working out
  7. evolving
  8. going
Verb
  • Such weapons are proving increasingly difficult for Kyiv to shoot down, with supplies of US Patriot interceptors – one of the few systems capable of taking down ballistic missiles pretty much exhausted.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Her tailored suit included a pair of slim-fit dress pants, proving the silhouette isn’t ready to disappear just yet.
    — Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of proving
Verb
  • His six children inherited the franchise through a family trust, with Jeanie continuing to oversee the team’s business operations and succeeding her father as the Lakers’ representative on the NBA Board of Governors.
    — Law Murray, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The mid-budget films succeeding right now are not proving the old middle-of-the-market model still works.
    — Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of succeeding
Verb
  • Wright said that on August 8, total oil coming out of the Gulf exceeded that 20-million-barrel mark.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Bedbugs are sometimes called the vampires of the insect world — hiding during the day and coming out at night to feast on human blood.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of coming out
Verb
  • Now both sides are releasing those background reports, with the defense going first by going over 20 pages of Austin Metcalf's behavioral history.
    — J.D. Miles, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
  • My problem is the kart path along the road has 3 or so feet of grass between it and the road, then suddenly the grass narrows and is eventually gone before going over the bridge and everything is squeezed together.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of going over
Verb
  • Tottenham came perilously close to falling out of the Premier League last season, a fate that would have dramatically altered their valuation.
    — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • However, her recent falling out with Lively has left that title feeling very flimsy.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of falling out
Verb
  • However, even those without a passion for boxing can enjoy working out with a speed bag.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Bieber's carousel also included a video of herself working out at a gym and a photo in which she was seen holding a plate of meatballs topped with red sauce and cheese.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of working out
Verb
  • Yesterday’s punk, grunge, and rebel-outsider upstarts have an uncanny way of evolving into today’s elder statesmen of respectable infamy.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • As the Navy prepares to retire the USS Nimitz, the arrival of CVN 79 will address this gap and update the Navy’s fleet with modern technologies needed to meet a rapidly evolving world.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of evolving
Verb
  • The United States is the canal’s biggest user — about 70% of all the goods moving through it are coming to or going from the US.
    — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • In a new post on Instagram, the model shared a photo of herself going topless on a sandy beach.
    — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of going

Browse Nearby Words

panning
panning out
panoplies
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Cite this Entry

“Panning out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panning%20out. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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