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
Related article Twitter descends into chaos as news outlets and brands lose verification
The return of the free blue check may be a sign that the blue check subscription business hasn’t panned out the way that Musk hoped.
—Clare Duffy, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
But the technology isn’t panning out to be as economically feasible as once thought.
—John Ainger, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024
The rental car company’s EV push didn’t pan out, and chief Stephen Scherr will step down to be replaced by former Delta Airlines and General Motors Gil West.
—Susan Howson, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
And hopes that the 95-year-old hall might instead be ready to reopen this May didn’t pan out.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024
That promise hasn’t quite panned out yet, and still Tesla has one of the highest forward price-to-earnings multiples of the Magnificent Seven stocks.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
But if things pan out, the new medication would effect weight loss twice as quickly as Wegovy, whose patients lose 6% of their weight in 12 weeks.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024
The science might not pan out, the business might run out of money.
—Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024
Yet the strategy seemingly panned out: HIM has never contracted COVID, researchers concluded based on antigen tests, PCR tests, and bloodwork.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2024
Clare Duffy, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
But the technology isn’t panning out to be as economically feasible as once thought.
—John Ainger, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024
The rental car company’s EV push didn’t pan out, and chief Stephen Scherr will step down to be replaced by former Delta Airlines and General Motors Gil West.
—Susan Howson, Quartz, 18 Mar. 2024
And hopes that the 95-year-old hall might instead be ready to reopen this May didn’t pan out.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024
That promise hasn’t quite panned out yet, and still Tesla has one of the highest forward price-to-earnings multiples of the Magnificent Seven stocks.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 22 Mar. 2024
But if things pan out, the new medication would effect weight loss twice as quickly as Wegovy, whose patients lose 6% of their weight in 12 weeks.
—Melvin Backman, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2024
The science might not pan out, the business might run out of money.
—Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 21 Feb. 2024
Yet the strategy seemingly panned out: HIM has never contracted COVID, researchers concluded based on antigen tests, PCR tests, and bloodwork.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pan out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
First Known Use
1865, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near pan out
Cite this Entry
“Pan out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pan%20out. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
pan out
verb
: turn out sense 5
especially
: succeed
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share