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
On a conference table, Marks placed an array of bottles and fanned out several mouillettes—the paper strips that perfumers use to sample fragrances.
—
Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
Stone fruits like nectarines, peaches, and apricots can be sliced and fanned out.
—Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Crews fanned out in air boats, helicopters and on horseback.
—Sean Murphy, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025
The volunteers fanned out across a terrain littered with uprooted trees and piles of branches.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fan out
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Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 10 July 2025
Stone fruits like nectarines, peaches, and apricots can be sliced and fanned out.
—Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Crews fanned out in air boats, helicopters and on horseback.
—Sean Murphy, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2025
The volunteers fanned out across a terrain littered with uprooted trees and piles of branches.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 9 July 2025
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 19 Jul. 2025.
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