pans out
Comes to fruition
Pans out means to turn out, especially to turn out well or as hoped.
The expression comes from gold panning—swirling water and sediment in a shallow pan to see if any gold appears.
Something that pans out yields results; something that doesn't pan out fails to materialize: The job didn't pan out, so I'm still looking.
- bears fruitAchieves productive results
- ends upEventually becomes or arrives
- succeedsAccomplishes a goal
- pays offProduces a positive result
- materializeBecome physically present
unfold · falls into place · achievement · transpire · fruition · come through · progress · culmination · evolve · comes together · breakthrough · emerge · accomplishment · proceed · resolution · advance · grow · manifest
realization of potential
pans outfizzles
Weakly fails after starting
peters out · stalls · founders · withers · dies on the vine