pan out

British  

verb

1. informal (intr, adverb) to work out; turn out; result

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pan out Idioms  

1. Turn out well, succeed, as in If I don't pan out as a musician, I can always go back to school. This expression alludes to washing gold from gravel in a pan. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Let me just give the strict legal answer, and maybe we can pan out from there.

From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026

For Long Blockchain, formerly Long Island Iced Tea, the move didn’t exactly pan out.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

During its fourth-quarter earnings call in January, the company said it expects Chinese sales to comprise only 20% of 2026 sales, though it made a similar prediction about 2025 that did not pan out.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

When that didn’t pan out, he pitched what would eventually become “Survivor,” developing it with Buena Vista in hopes of selling it to ABC.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

When she opened it, I held the empty kugel pan out to her.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• turn out