1
as in spreading (out)
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area
the accordionist smoothly fanned out the bellows of his instrument as he played
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in radiating
to extend outwards from or as if from a central point
most of the city's subway lines fan out from this central station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanning (out)
Verb
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Lights appeared up ahead, radiating energy like celestial bodies.—
Manuel Muñoz,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025 -
Instead of sound radiating out at all angles, the sound is redirected by solid glass upwards to initially dissipate vertically instead of horizontally.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The follow-up to Obsidian Entertainment’s excellent action RPG The Outer Worlds brings the space-faring adventure to a new setting with a new cast of characters, but with the same emphasis on branching story paths based on how players interact with the game’s NPCs.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
11 Sep. 2025
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Developers should be able to reconstruct task graphs showing the sequence of agent decisions, branching logic and results.—
Gopikrishnan Anilkumar,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Now the Icon Class family is expanding, with three equally hefty sister ships.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
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An artisan pizzeria with South Beach roots is expanding across the state.—
Jason Dill,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Stablecoins now connect digital assets to the machinery of government debt, influencing yields, shaping monetary policy, and extending the reach of the dollar abroad.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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To bridge the gap between innovation and investment, Biofabricate is extending its reach beyond London.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Alongside this accountability gap, mercenaries are also opening major operational gaps.—
Alia Brahimi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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Carolina lost its season-opening contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a way that made the Panthers look unrecognizable from the one that ended 2024 on a tear.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Washington Examiner attended a press conference held by Taiwanese Foreign Minister Chia-lung Lin on Thursday, where the head diplomat expounded upon the lessons learned from observing the violence unfolding in Eastern Europe.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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The Season 3 finale of the sci-fi series delivers on that promise, unfolding with the solemn rhythm of a funeral dirge.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fanning (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanning%20%28out%29. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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