as in criticizing
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
virtually all the movie critics have panned this latest sequel in a tired series
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of panning
Sitting in the audience, Styles' mere presence repeatedly distracted the actor as the camera kept panning away from him for the beloved pop-rock star.
—
Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
The Neo is a product that was once unthinkable from a company that spent years panning the idea of netbooks and never bothered to make a budget laptop of its own.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
The camera then kept panning to Styles, detracting from Gosling’s monologue about earth on the Studio 8H stage.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2026
There’s no camera panning the panic and no close-up to guide the emotion — only sound.
—Jordaan Ashley, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026
Saldaña was behind the camera for the rest of her vacation photos and videos, sharing a brief look at her silhouette on the beach before panning over to her three lookalike sons playing in the clear blue water.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
The indictment further alleges that Comer went live on Facebook during the chase, briefly showing police lights flashing behind him before panning to a speedometer reading 105 miles per hour.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Designed for headphone listening, blue fifty-six revels in the subtle manipulation of space, panning elements into a taut omnidirectional tapestry.
—Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
This distinction has helped separate casual use of public lands—such as private citizens panning for gold, which anyone can do freely—from commercial activities.
—Lauren Steele, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Mar. 2026
The Neo is a product that was once unthinkable from a company that spent years panning the idea of netbooks and never bothered to make a budget laptop of its own.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
The camera then kept panning to Styles, detracting from Gosling’s monologue about earth on the Studio 8H stage.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2026
There’s no camera panning the panic and no close-up to guide the emotion — only sound.
—Jordaan Ashley, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026
Saldaña was behind the camera for the rest of her vacation photos and videos, sharing a brief look at her silhouette on the beach before panning over to her three lookalike sons playing in the clear blue water.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
The indictment further alleges that Comer went live on Facebook during the chase, briefly showing police lights flashing behind him before panning to a speedometer reading 105 miles per hour.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Designed for headphone listening, blue fifty-six revels in the subtle manipulation of space, panning elements into a taut omnidirectional tapestry.
—Maxie Younger, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
This distinction has helped separate casual use of public lands—such as private citizens panning for gold, which anyone can do freely—from commercial activities.
—Lauren Steele, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panning
Verb
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In 2010, a grand jury indicted former House Speaker Ray Sansom on grand theft and conspiracy charges and issued a 10-page presentment criticizing the Legislature’s appropriations process.—
Lawrence Mower,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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Moore also pointed out flaws in facial recognition technology as a whole, criticizing its early, widespread adoption by law enforcement agencies worldwide.—
Neil J. Rubenking,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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California's Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said the state identified factors behind price spikes, but stopped short of blaming oil companies for price gouging.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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But there is no point blaming Tuchel for this.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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And while criticism of insurance companies was bipartisan, Republicans and Democrats also blamed one another for the crisis, with the GOP faulting Obamacare and Democrats accusing Republicans of using the hearings to deflect from their own inaction to address rising premiums.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
22 Jan. 2026
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Some Havana Syndrome victims have spent more than a decade trying to draw attention to their cases, often faulting the government for failing to provide enough support or access to specialized medical care.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Other European leaders have gone further by condemning the conflict and refusing any help at all.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
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The board said renaming the holiday will honor the collective contributions of farm workers and their impact on communities, while also supporting survivors and condemning all forms of abuse.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Documenting and denouncing shootings and arson attacks are easy.—
Jesse Brown,
The Atlantic,
24 Mar. 2026
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore released a statement on Friday, denouncing a 30-day gas tax suspension.—
Mike Hellgren,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Things got worse for the Wild a few shifts later when Spurgeon foiled a Florida rush to the Minnesota net, but went down at full speed and slid hard into the goalpost, knocking the net off the moorings.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
27 Mar. 2026
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The level 3 out of 5, or the area with numerous severe thunderstorms, is literally knocking on the door.—
Ray Petelin,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panning. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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