pan out

verb

Definition of pan outnext
1
as in to prove
to come to be the eagerly anticipated kayaking trip never panned out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to succeed
to turn out as planned or desired the investment scheme didn't quite pan out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pan out The mayor said the City Council's ideas for balancing the budget haven't panned out. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Few free agents have panned out With the exceptions of edge rusher Josh Uche and safety Zayne Anderson, most of the free agents Miami signed this offseason turned out to be mediocre NFL players. — Omar Kelly august 24, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026 Vitello wanted Smith to face the right-handed hitting Caleb Durbin before going to lefty Sam Hentges, but the move didn’t pan out as Smith walked Durbin on four pitches. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026 When a project doesn’t pan out as hoped, as inevitably happens from time to time, figure out what went wrong, identify the teachable moments, and share them. — Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pan out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pan out
  1. prove
  2. succeed
  3. go
  4. go over
  5. click
  6. work out
Verb
  • Comfort and style aren’t oxymorons, and these pants prove it.
    — Shea Simmons, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Expressing positive sentiment, such as appreciation, also proved more effective than neutral or negative tones.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of prove
Verb
  • Four years after succeeding founder Virgil Abloh as the creative lead at Off-White, Ib Kamara has departed the brand.
    — Luke Leitch, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Republicans are trying to tie the Democratic Party in general to the democratic socialist candidates who have succeeded this year in running for office.
    — Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of succeed
Verb
  • Even near the end of an August in which the Jays went 17-11, the team posted a near-average wRC+ (101 entering Sunday).
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In fact, the breakeven rate of employment growth, or the number of net new jobs needed each month to keep the unemployment rate steady, actually went slightly negative during the summer and fall of 2025.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of go
Verb
  • The American economic boom has gone over multi-years as of now, and nothing is to be taken for granted.
    — Remy Raisner, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • As for how her position on Disney and the FCC goes over with her colleagues, Gomez is more circumspect.
    — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of go over
Verb
  • The next artist starts in front of everyone who stayed, including people who might never have clicked the name on a streaming app.
    — Svetlana Khachiyan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Celeste begins worrying about her mother-in-law after her credit cards are declined and her outfits are increasingly out of place, but things begin to click when Mary-Louise gives Max, Josh and Ziggy expensive cars.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of click
Verb
  • One in particular has worked out splendidly for the past 15 years.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • When Dow arrived at the Alaska Smokejumper Base, in 1975, sixty-five men worked out of an airplane hangar that had been abandoned after the Second World War.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of work out

Browse Nearby Words

panoramic
pan out
pans
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Cite this Entry

“Pan out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pan%20out. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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