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
The video includes panning shots of the tower’s exterior and interior, with a presidential jet parked in the lobby alongside a gold escalator like the one Trump rode while launching his presidential campaign in 2015.
—
ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
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
ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for panning
Verb
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The changing telework fight Last year, unions regularly held large rallies opposing the return-to-office order; an anonymous group of state workers erected billboards along Interstate 80 criticizing the governor.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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While the organization hasn’t publicly said so, some have questioned whether the support is partly in retaliation against Cassidy for criticizing Kennedy’s vaccine policy agenda.—
Ali Swenson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Emirati officials had threatened for years to leave, blaming Opec’s production quotas for unfairly curtailing its oil exports.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
30 Apr. 2026
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In 2013, Hall tried (and failed) to replicate the previous magic and his show was cancelled after one season, many blaming tougher competition than before.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
29 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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Similar political commentary reached the stage at last year’s Glastonbury Festival, where Kneecap and English punk duo Bob Vylan came under fire for leading the audience in chants supporting Palestinians and condemning Israel.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
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The spike in deaths has rattled the international community, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemning the situation and demanding a thorough inspection of conditions at ICE facilities.—
Armando Garcia,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both Mexico City and Guadalajara are preparing to host World Cup games in June, with protesters in both cities denouncing the government's failure to properly investigate the disappearances.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
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The pope has been outspoken against the Middle East conflict, urging peace and denouncing attacks on civilians.—
Ryan Mancini,
The Hill,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Iranians have been knocking around in the United States’ critical infrastructure for years.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
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Serve it at room temperature so the salad on top won't wilt (and the cooking is complete before the guests come knocking).—
Ashlyn Ware,
Midwest Living,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Panning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/panning. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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