fan out

phrasal verb

fanned out; fanning out; fans out
: to spread apart or to cause (something) to spread apart
The police fanned out across the park in search of the suspect.
He fanned out his fingers.

Examples of fan out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
After debut seasons in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, the upper-premium ships will fan out to Alaska, Japan and other marquee regions. David Dickstein, Oc Register, 31 Dec. 2025 That might ring some bells for the BMW Boxer fans out there. New Atlas, 29 Dec. 2025 The team spotted this translucent telescope octopus floating upside down and—for the Doctor Who fans out there—giving serious Lady Cassandra vibes. Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 25 Dec. 2025 Thick, undulating braids waving across the crown of her head and a swirled, slicked down baby curl, with finer braids fanning out like interconnecting halos. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 22 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fan out

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fan out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan%20out. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!