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 spreading out of holiday shopping, into a months long rather than weeks, or days long activity has reduced the crowds at stores and malls on Black Friday, but Sensormatic Solutions still is expecting a number of very busy shopping days in the weeks leading up to Christmas. —Joan Verdon, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Offering early holiday deals spreads out purchases, giving shippers more breathing room to complete orders. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 29 Nov. 2024

However, at the Indianapolis International Airport, TSA expects Tuesday, Saturday and Monday to be the highest traffic days, signaling that passengers are choosing to spread out their travel, said Jessica Mayle, a regional spokesperson for TSA. —Alysa Guffey, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Nov. 2024

With more time before the holiday, people tend to spread out their outbound travel over more days, but everyone returns at the same time, said Andrew Watterson, the chief operating officer of Southwest Airlines. —David Koenig, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024