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 122 rooms and suites are spread out among four buildings, each offering different styles and configurations. —Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Talent is spread out more evenly. —Chris Vannini, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025

The state's Latino population has consistently increased in recent decades and is spread out across Michigan's Lower Peninsula, MSU data shows. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 14 Sep. 2025

One reason the events are so spread out is because the hosts opted to reuse existing venues (as opposed to building new sites solely for the games). —Tiana Attride, AFAR Media, 12 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for spread out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout