1
as in proving
to come to be
the eagerly anticipated kayaking trip never panned out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
Thanks to partisan gerrymandering, once-competitive districts have now become easy targets that fundamentally prevent a truly massive seat haul from actually panning out.
—Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Earlier forecasts of high temperatures dropping into the 80s in the Dallas area weren't panning out, the weather service there said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
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
Thanks to partisan gerrymandering, once-competitive districts have now become easy targets that fundamentally prevent a truly massive seat haul from actually panning out.
—Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2026
Earlier forecasts of high temperatures dropping into the 80s in the Dallas area weren't panning out, the weather service there said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panning out
Verb
-
That takes us to Monday afternoon and Jena proving that point by sharing behind-the-scenes content on social media in the form of a bikini parade from this year's fitting.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
And as the creator economy continues to grow in reach and profitability, content creators like Logan Walter are fundamentally proving its value.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Officials said their work is largely succeeding, as the bears are beginning to exhibit more natural behaviors common for bears in the wild.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
-
Yet a small number of companies are succeeding, in part by linking their AI and cost-reduction efforts.—
Paul Goydan,
Fortune,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The tight timeline puts a lot of pressure on the Artemis III lander testing mission, as well as the uncrewed tests proposed for SpaceX and Blue Origin, with funding for the latter coming out of the companies’ own pockets.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
-
That eased some of the concern coming out of Game 2, when Thompson was one of Buffalo’s worst players.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
After all, what is the insomniac doing in the middle of the night but going over the past again and again?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
-
Working into the morning hours for weeks, if not months, were some five or six members of the sports commission’s staff, painstakingly going over each piece page by page with Sporting KC staff members.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Kerr also faced criticism for Jonathan Kuminga falling out of the Warriors’ rotation and not meeting expectations.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
-
Jack Fleischaker, 19, was critically injured after falling out of a second-floor window of the Sigma Chi house on Saturday, April 25, according to the Riley County Police Department (RCPD).—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps the situation is working out for both pitchers, who, when at their best, can shine in two talented rotations.—
Charlotte Varnes,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
After recently failing to obtain a five-month continuance of his trial, Kapoor’s defense lawyers — Don Samuel, Jane Raskin and Fred Schwartz — quickly pivoted to working out the plea deal with federal prosecutors.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Amazon is evolving its strategy as the e-commerce industry grapples with the rise of AI shopping bots.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
-
But the situation is rapidly evolving and things could change.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Everything is going surprisingly well despite the team being affected by injuries all spring.—
Jesús Cano,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
All of the passengers who were on board the cruise ship are asymptomatic and the evacuation operation was going as planned, a spokesperson for Spain’s Health Ministry said in an update Sunday morning.—
Vasco Cotovio,
CNN Money,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panning out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panning%20out. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
