1
as in proved
to come to be
the eagerly anticipated kayaking trip never panned out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in succeeded
to turn out as planned or desired
the investment scheme didn't quite pan out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of panned out
The wideout participated in rookie camps with the Chiefs, Saints, and Colts, but nothing panned out.
—
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Not a lot has panned out, though, this time around.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
So far, that theory has panned out.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Various industries have come into the region over the years and made grand promises that never panned out.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
That finally panned out with Red Rooster.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
In this particular case, the group in question has previously produced three results each claiming the discovery of a fifth force and hints of a novel particle, but none of them panned out.
—Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026
The pilot never panned out, but their high school romance did.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Regime change hasn’t panned out.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
Not a lot has panned out, though, this time around.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
So far, that theory has panned out.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
Various industries have come into the region over the years and made grand promises that never panned out.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
That finally panned out with Red Rooster.
—Michael Butler, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 2026
In this particular case, the group in question has previously produced three results each claiming the discovery of a fifth force and hints of a novel particle, but none of them panned out.
—Big Think, 19 Mar. 2026
The pilot never panned out, but their high school romance did.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Regime change hasn’t panned out.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panned out
Verb
-
Over the longer term, the curbs proved far from a death knell, with the country’s production rising in subsequent years.—
Anthony Di Paola,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
-
But the combination of rising fuel costs and changes in the industry proved too much to overcome.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
If everyone succeeded, the box got shorter for the next round, while the other participants hovered nearby to catch anyone who wobbled.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
-
Kelly Donohoe had just succeeded Tony Severino as the Hawklets’ head coach.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
But K-pop has evolved differently; from the very start in the 1990s, groups worked to cultivate fanbases in Japan and China, said Lie, who wrote a 2014 book on the topic.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
-
By March 2026, this evolved into a broad AI hiring freeze.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The Angels got two runners on with one out in the eighth, but Grant Taylor worked out of the jam to maintain the three-run lead.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The 22-year-old from Nigeria declared for the 2025 draft and worked out for teams, but was not invited to the combine.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maya Melendez, a ninth grader, went 3-for-4 with a home run, double and 7 RBI for the Patriots.—
Buddy Collings,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The fans went home happy after an apparent makeup call wiped out a Saints go-ahead field goal, and the Packers avoided a 1-3 start by escaping with a 28-27 victory.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The incident occurred on the Carnival Firenze, which was off the Southern California coast when the female guest went over the balcony of her stateroom and landed on a lower deck, the cruise line confirmed to Fox News Digital.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Shortly after the final whistle blew in Chelsea’s 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds United, the players went over to take the acclaim from their supporters.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panned out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panned%20out. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
