fan (out)

1
as in to stretch (out)
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area the accordionist smoothly fanned out the bellows of his instrument as he played

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fan (out)
Verb
  • On the other hand, any fleeting gesture of affection or vulnerability — like Chandan standing in Shoaib’s path during an Islamophobic assault — makes love practically radiate through the screen.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 21 May 2025
  • On the mound, Shem Tov smiled and blew kisses to the crowd, radiating warmth and kindness.
    Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Often complete with a heel that signified status, the riding-style leather boots could be extended fully, reaching the upper thighs, or folded down into cuffs.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 20 May 2025
  • Getting that confirmation extends Joel and Ellie’s conversation from a roughly four-and-a-half-minute cutscene to almost an eight-minute scene in the HBO series.
    Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
Verb
  • Regular trimming helps control height and width, improves air circulation, and stimulates branching for a fuller appearance.
    Debbie Wolfe, Popular Science, 8 May 2025
  • The route followed the main boulevard leading to the Independence Palace before branching into city streets and passed the U.S. Consulate.
    Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Dowling’s donation comes as Northwell, New York’s largest health care provider, is actively lobbying the city government on a plan to expand its Lenox Hill Hospital complex on the Upper East Side, filings show.
    Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025
  • The terminal was expanded in 2023. 2012: Paul Konerko hit a tie-breaking three-run home run — his 400th with the Chicago White Sox — in a 12-6 win over the Cleveland Indians.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • The bigger the bottleneck, the more freely the contents of the bottle flow through it.
    Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 May 2025
  • The iconic teen drama kept emotions flowing from 1998 to 2003.
    Jen Juneau, People.com, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • This includes Francoise Bettencourt Meyers of France, an heiress to the L’Oreal fortune who is worth $86 billion, by far the largest fortune to derive from a pure beauty company.
    Jemima McEvoy, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
  • Naturally derived emulsifiers may not always be better.
    Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 30 May 2025
Verb
  • The bill, aimed at rectifying inequality in land ownership left over from South Africa's racial apartheid system, opens pathways for the government to seize private land for public use – sometimes without compensation.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Ramon helped Barraza open a second Nayarit in Echo Park in 1951 and eventually became the head chef.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • To extend the bloom time of many cultivars, deadhead spent blooms, pinch back stems to encourage branching and more bloom buds, and meet the plant's water, light, and nutrient needs throughout the growing season.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
  • The risk stems in large part from their propensity to wander off and to underappreciate perils, according to co-author Dr. Guohua Li and other experts.
    Jennifer Peltz, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 May 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Fan (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fan%20%28out%29. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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