fan out
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
Rescuers have fanned out across La Guaira, where the worst destruction occurred, and parts of Caracas, where families and volunteers have spent days pulling survivors and victims from the rubble.
—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2026
With the Big Shoulders Fund set up on the left of the strip mall at 61st Avenue’s parking lot and the United Way on the right, the more than 300 volunteers fanned out into the neighborhoods hit by the EF2 tornado June 11.
—
Michelle L. Quinn,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2026
And canvassers will fan out to discuss affordability issues in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
—
Matt Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
The photo is of a large Black family gathered in the front yard of a modest house, parents at the center, children and teenagers fanned out around them.
—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fan out
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Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2026
With the Big Shoulders Fund set up on the left of the strip mall at 61st Avenue’s parking lot and the United Way on the right, the more than 300 volunteers fanned out into the neighborhoods hit by the EF2 tornado June 11.
—
Michelle L. Quinn,
Chicago Tribune,
26 June 2026
And canvassers will fan out to discuss affordability issues in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
—
Matt Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
The photo is of a large Black family gathered in the front yard of a modest house, parents at the center, children and teenagers fanned out around them.
—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fan out
Cite this Entry
“Fan out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fan%20out. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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