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

The crew spread out, and sawyers began to cut the chaparral with their saws. —M. R. O’Connor, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

As 7News reported, photos of Ward were spread out on park tables and surrounded by candles at Tuesday's memorial. —David Chiu, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025

And unlike the Metrorail projects, where the station, apartments, shops and other amenities are clustered closely together on compact former parking lots to form tightly coherent urban districts, Upland Park would be spread out over two far larger, separate and disconnected properties. —Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 Jan. 2025

Even Emily and Alfie spread out a blanket on one of the grassy hills here during a scene in Emily in Paris. —Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 22 Jan. 2025