spread out
phrasal verb
spread out; spreading out; spreads out
1
: to open, arrange, or place (something) over a large area
He spread out the map on the table.
He spread the cards out on the table.
The cards were spread out across the table.
2
: to be open, arranged, or extended over a large area
The city is spread out over a wide area.
3
: to move (parts of the body) outward or away from each other
Spread your arms out.
There's no room on the couch to spread yourself out.
4
: to divide up (something) over a period of time or among members of a group
They spread the work out among the committee members.
The course is spread out over two semesters.
5
: to move apart from the other members of a group especially to search an area
The police spread out to search the area faster.
Examples of spread out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Unlike in seasons past when performances were spread out over a week to give singers time for vocal rest between shows, the performances will be presented on three consecutive days.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2024
With the first option, the jackpot amount is spread out over 30 years as an annual payment.
—Raphael Romero Ruiz, The Arizona Republic, 5 May 2024
The virus from cows has also been spotted spreading out of dairy farms into nearby wild birds and poultry, likely ferried by contaminated milk droplets and surfaces.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 3 May 2024
Plus, the rooms are luxurious and super spacious, so families have plenty of space to spread out.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2024
With 35,000 copies sold, spread out over 15 years, and with royalties paid out in a manner that would have elicited a fist pump from Ebenezer Scrooge, the income couldn’t support someone even as scrimping as Perlin.
—Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024
The Beijing Film Panorama program is screening films spread out across Beijing, as well as nearby Tianjin and the Xiong’an New Area, included among them Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, the Denis Villeneuve directed sci-fi epic Blade Runner 2049 and the Quentin Tarantino classic Pulp Fiction.
—Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
Several users who were preparing to take possession of the EV—from states as spread out as California, North Carolina, and Texas—all reported being informed by the automaker that their delivery was being delayed with only the vaguest of explanations, if any.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024
There is no direct cost to specific customers who have lead service lines replaced, but some of the expenses are spread out among all ratepayers.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Apr. 2024
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 May 2024
With the first option, the jackpot amount is spread out over 30 years as an annual payment.
—Raphael Romero Ruiz, The Arizona Republic, 5 May 2024
The virus from cows has also been spotted spreading out of dairy farms into nearby wild birds and poultry, likely ferried by contaminated milk droplets and surfaces.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 3 May 2024
Plus, the rooms are luxurious and super spacious, so families have plenty of space to spread out.
—Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 2 May 2024
With 35,000 copies sold, spread out over 15 years, and with royalties paid out in a manner that would have elicited a fist pump from Ebenezer Scrooge, the income couldn’t support someone even as scrimping as Perlin.
—Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024
The Beijing Film Panorama program is screening films spread out across Beijing, as well as nearby Tianjin and the Xiong’an New Area, included among them Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, the Denis Villeneuve directed sci-fi epic Blade Runner 2049 and the Quentin Tarantino classic Pulp Fiction.
—Mathew Scott, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
Several users who were preparing to take possession of the EV—from states as spread out as California, North Carolina, and Texas—all reported being informed by the automaker that their delivery was being delayed with only the vaguest of explanations, if any.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024
There is no direct cost to specific customers who have lead service lines replaced, but some of the expenses are spread out among all ratepayers.
—Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spread out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spread out
Cite this Entry
“Spread out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spread%20out. Accessed 9 May. 2024.
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