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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Williams joined the Jets this offseason on a one-year, $10 million deal, but didn't exactly pan out. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Not all of these ideas will pan out, but if any do, the next few years could bring an inflection point in treating some of the most frustrating and intractable diseases of our modern era. —

Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2024 Sadly, this season didn't pan out the way Cardinals fans had hoped when the front office successfully retooled the pitching staff last winter. —

Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 What’s more, early studies also suggested that statins, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and insulin had a positive effect on Alzheimer’s, but none of those treatments panned out. —

Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pan out