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

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

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Even the ones that don’t pan out in the long-term could still see their stocks pop after earnings.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 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

He didn’t repudiate his warnings when they failed to pan out, yet didn’t lose his popularity or prestige.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Then she takes Grandpa Ed’s pan out of the oven, lifts the foil, and eats the roast chicken with rosemary potatoes as she stands against the counter.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Related Words

• turn out