pan out
verb
panned out; panning out; pans out
: to happen, end, or develop in a particular way : turn out
I'm really enjoying how this is all panning out now and it is so exciting and intriguing to watch and find out what happens next …—
Gary Neville
Gary Neville
especially
: succeed
… the signs revealed that the experiment wasn't panning out … —Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan She [Dixie Hollins] noted that learning about arts and entertainment fills her creative side and works as a great plan B if her goal of working in the medical field doesn't pan out. —Karin Davis-Thompson
Karin Davis-Thompson Examples of pan out in a Sentence
the eagerly anticipated kayaking trip never panned out
the investment scheme didn't quite pan out
Recent Examples on the Web
That projection wouldn’t pan out, of course, if enough millionaires left the city to avoid the tax.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 14 July 2025
Here’s what else to know about the two-day draft and how recent Sox and Cubs draft picks have panned out.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
An intriguing premise doesn’t quite pan out in Nathan Ambrosioni’s latest feature, but there’s no denying the potential in this impossibly young, prolific director.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 10 July 2025
But should the de-extinction work pan out as hoped, resulting birds won’t be released into the wild, Jackson and others hastened to add.
—David Bloom, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pan out
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Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 14 July 2025
Here’s what else to know about the two-day draft and how recent Sox and Cubs draft picks have panned out.
—Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
An intriguing premise doesn’t quite pan out in Nathan Ambrosioni’s latest feature, but there’s no denying the potential in this impossibly young, prolific director.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 10 July 2025
But should the de-extinction work pan out as hoped, resulting birds won’t be released into the wild, Jackson and others hastened to add.
—David Bloom, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pan out
Cite this Entry
“Pan out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pan%20out. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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