spin-out
Americannoun
verb
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to extend or protract (a story, etc) by including superfluous detail; prolong
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to spend or pass (time)
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to contrive to cause (money, etc) to last as long as possible
noun
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Protract or prolong, as in They spun out the negotiations over a period of months . This idiom alludes to drawing out a thread by spinning. [c. 1600]
-
Rotate out of control, as in The car spun out and crashed into the store window . [Mid-1900s]
Etymology
Origin of spin-out
First recorded in 1950–55; noun use of verb phrase spin out
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Shares have performed well since their spin-out from DuPont in November.
From Barron's ● May 12, 2026
“Lastly, we believe that the recently announced spin-out of FedEx Freight into a standalone company should serve as a value-unlocking event and will put more scrutiny on the operations of the Freight segment,” they write.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
"Our funding from NIH on this continuing project through our spin-out company, NuvoNuro, has the potential to take us toward clinical development in the next few years, which is extraordinarily exciting."
From Science Daily ● Jan. 31, 2024
The product - suitably called Cheese from Peas - has been developed by researchers from the University of Nottingham and spin-out company The Good Pulse Company, which was founded by Mr Torres.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2023
On my mark it is T minus thirty minutes to spin-out check.
From Where I Wasn't Going by Walt Richmond
Asics said in June it would spin out the Onitsuka Tiger brand into a wholly owned subsidiary with the goal of speeding up decision-making at the fast-growing business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
Because Netflix is proposing to spin out the Discovery shares, the bidding war will be decided by what investors think those are worth.
From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026
In February, Middleby said it would spin out its food-processing business to focus on commercial food services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
Floodwaters covered a lane of traffic on Highway 60 in East L.A., causing several vehicles to spin out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2025
Like sometimes I can lock up or spin out over a simple English assignment, or something stupid.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.