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

especially : succeed

… the signs revealed that the experiment wasn't panning out … —

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

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

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.

The team Like many young men whose dreams of careers as pro athletes don’t pan out, Etienne had to figure out what to do with his life. —

Chris Quintana, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024 The duo meet up and talk pest control, cover crops, weed abatement, soil, and experimental patches in their fields that may or may not have panned out. —

Esha Chhabra, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024 The Paris Pro nonstick skillet is functional, a great value, and (most importantly) one of the safest nonstick pans out there. —

Donna Kim, Bon Appétit, 25 Nov. 2024 How this will actually pan out — and whether Trump will successfully act quickly on these promises — has yet to be seen. —

Wyatte Grantham-Philips, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pan out