"spin out" meaning in English

See spin out in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-spin out.ogg [Australia] Forms: spins out [present, singular, third-person], spinning out [participle, present], spun out [participle, past], spun out [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|<,,spun>}} spin out (third-person singular simple present spins out, present participle spinning out, simple past and past participle spun out)
  1. (ambitransitive, idiomatic) To prolong; to make longer (in time or extent). Tags: ambitransitive, idiomatic Synonyms (to make longer): drag out, string out
    Sense id: en-spin_out-en-verb-SbnCgn65 Categories (other): English phrasal verbs formed with "out" Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "out": 14 10 14 7 28 27 Disambiguation of 'to make longer': 61 16 16 2 3 3
  2. (automotive, of a vehicle, intransitive) To rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion. Tags: intransitive
    Sense id: en-spin_out-en-verb-a~2FkWh0 Categories (other): Automotive, Pages with entries Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 6 11 16 3 29 34 Topics: automotive, transport, vehicles
  3. (automotive, of a driver, ambitransitive) To cause one's vehicle to rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion; or to experience such behavior from one's vehicle. Tags: ambitransitive
    Sense id: en-spin_out-en-verb-Zil2Yl1H Categories (other): Automotive, English phrasal verbs formed with "out", Pages with entries Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "out": 14 10 14 7 28 27 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 6 11 16 3 29 34 Topics: automotive, transport, vehicles
  4. (business) To form a subsidiary company which continues part of the prior operations of the parent company.
    Sense id: en-spin_out-en-verb-FLhh5LYZ Categories (other): Business Topics: business
  5. (informal) To freak out; to experience a mental health crisis, especially one that is public or damaging; to be drawn into and derailed by a psychotic break, burst of anger, etc; to fail catastrophically, especially if caused by a freak out. Tags: informal Synonyms: spin off [automotive, vehicles, transport, business]
    Sense id: en-spin_out-en-verb-zv~lJ5cK Categories (other): English phrasal verbs formed with "out", Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "out": 14 10 14 7 28 27 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 7 7 9 4 34 39 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 6 11 16 3 29 34
  6. (cycling) To be at the upper limit of one's cadence, and therefore unable to pedal faster, especially when there is no higher gear available, such as when descending very rapidly.
    Sense id: en-spin_out-en-verb-0wvpHG9f Categories (other): Cycling, English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "out", Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 12 11 17 5 24 31 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "out": 14 10 14 7 28 27 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 7 7 9 4 34 39 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 6 11 16 3 29 34 Topics: cycling, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "spins out",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spinning out",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spun out",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spun out",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "<,,spun>"
      },
      "expansion": "spin out (third-person singular simple present spins out, present participle spinning out, simple past and past participle spun out)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "14 10 14 7 28 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"out\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              13,
              21
            ]
          ],
          "text": "The film was spun out to three hours, despite the plot running out after two.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              18,
              26
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Somehow I need to spin out this essay to 2,000 words.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              39,
              47
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1941 October, “Notes and News: L.N.E.R. Locomotive Performance in War Conditions”, in Railway Magazine, page 473:",
          "text": "After Ashby summit it was difficult to spin out the more than ample schedule allowance.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              58,
              70
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1957 August 5, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 568:",
          "text": "Here we were nearly 8 min. early, and was now a matter of spinning out time, as indeed we did—losing 3 min. from Penrith to Carlisle!—in order not to run into Carlisle more than 5 min. early.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To prolong; to make longer (in time or extent)."
      ],
      "id": "en-spin_out-en-verb-SbnCgn65",
      "links": [
        [
          "prolong",
          "prolong"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ambitransitive, idiomatic) To prolong; to make longer (in time or extent)."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "61 16 16 2 3 3",
          "sense": "to make longer",
          "word": "drag out"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "61 16 16 2 3 3",
          "sense": "to make longer",
          "word": "string out"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Automotive",
          "orig": "en:Automotive",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 11 16 3 29 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              9,
              17
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Two cars spun out on the icy road and wound up in a ditch.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion."
      ],
      "id": "en-spin_out-en-verb-a~2FkWh0",
      "links": [
        [
          "automotive",
          "automotive"
        ],
        [
          "rotate",
          "rotate"
        ],
        [
          "yaw",
          "yaw"
        ],
        [
          "skid",
          "skid"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(automotive, of a vehicle, intransitive) To rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a vehicle"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "automotive",
        "transport",
        "vehicles"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Automotive",
          "orig": "en:Automotive",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 10 14 7 28 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"out\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 11 16 3 29 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              23,
              31
            ]
          ],
          "text": "The Formula One driver spun out on a tight curve.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              17,
              25
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Bob accidentally spun out his Mercedes when he hit a patch of black ice.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To cause one's vehicle to rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion; or to experience such behavior from one's vehicle."
      ],
      "id": "en-spin_out-en-verb-Zil2Yl1H",
      "links": [
        [
          "automotive",
          "automotive"
        ],
        [
          "vehicle",
          "vehicle"
        ],
        [
          "rotate",
          "rotate"
        ],
        [
          "yaw",
          "yaw"
        ],
        [
          "skid",
          "skid"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(automotive, of a driver, ambitransitive) To cause one's vehicle to rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion; or to experience such behavior from one's vehicle."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a driver"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "automotive",
        "transport",
        "vehicles"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Business",
          "orig": "en:Business",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To form a subsidiary company which continues part of the prior operations of the parent company."
      ],
      "id": "en-spin_out-en-verb-FLhh5LYZ",
      "links": [
        [
          "business",
          "business"
        ],
        [
          "subsidiary",
          "subsidiary"
        ],
        [
          "company",
          "company"
        ],
        [
          "parent",
          "parent"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(business) To form a subsidiary company which continues part of the prior operations of the parent company."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "business"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "14 10 14 7 28 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"out\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 7 9 4 34 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 11 16 3 29 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To freak out; to experience a mental health crisis, especially one that is public or damaging; to be drawn into and derailed by a psychotic break, burst of anger, etc; to fail catastrophically, especially if caused by a freak out."
      ],
      "id": "en-spin_out-en-verb-zv~lJ5cK",
      "links": [
        [
          "freak out",
          "freak out"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) To freak out; to experience a mental health crisis, especially one that is public or damaging; to be drawn into and derailed by a psychotic break, burst of anger, etc; to fail catastrophically, especially if caused by a freak out."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 11 10 0 73 5",
          "topics": [
            "automotive",
            "vehicles",
            "transport",
            "business"
          ],
          "word": "spin off"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Cycling",
          "orig": "en:Cycling",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 11 17 5 24 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 10 14 7 28 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"out\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 7 9 4 34 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 11 16 3 29 34",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be at the upper limit of one's cadence, and therefore unable to pedal faster, especially when there is no higher gear available, such as when descending very rapidly."
      ],
      "id": "en-spin_out-en-verb-0wvpHG9f",
      "links": [
        [
          "cycling",
          "cycling#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "cadence",
          "cadence"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(cycling) To be at the upper limit of one's cadence, and therefore unable to pedal faster, especially when there is no higher gear available, such as when descending very rapidly."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "cycling",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-spin out.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/En-au-spin_out.ogg/En-au-spin_out.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/En-au-spin_out.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "spin out"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"out\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "spins out",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spinning out",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spun out",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "spun out",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "<,,spun>"
      },
      "expansion": "spin out (third-person singular simple present spins out, present participle spinning out, simple past and past participle spun out)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              13,
              21
            ]
          ],
          "text": "The film was spun out to three hours, despite the plot running out after two.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              18,
              26
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Somehow I need to spin out this essay to 2,000 words.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              39,
              47
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1941 October, “Notes and News: L.N.E.R. Locomotive Performance in War Conditions”, in Railway Magazine, page 473:",
          "text": "After Ashby summit it was difficult to spin out the more than ample schedule allowance.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              58,
              70
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1957 August 5, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 568:",
          "text": "Here we were nearly 8 min. early, and was now a matter of spinning out time, as indeed we did—losing 3 min. from Penrith to Carlisle!—in order not to run into Carlisle more than 5 min. early.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To prolong; to make longer (in time or extent)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "prolong",
          "prolong"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ambitransitive, idiomatic) To prolong; to make longer (in time or extent)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Automotive"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              9,
              17
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Two cars spun out on the icy road and wound up in a ditch.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "automotive",
          "automotive"
        ],
        [
          "rotate",
          "rotate"
        ],
        [
          "yaw",
          "yaw"
        ],
        [
          "skid",
          "skid"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(automotive, of a vehicle, intransitive) To rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a vehicle"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "automotive",
        "transport",
        "vehicles"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English transitive verbs",
        "en:Automotive"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              23,
              31
            ]
          ],
          "text": "The Formula One driver spun out on a tight curve.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              17,
              25
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Bob accidentally spun out his Mercedes when he hit a patch of black ice.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To cause one's vehicle to rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion; or to experience such behavior from one's vehicle."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "automotive",
          "automotive"
        ],
        [
          "vehicle",
          "vehicle"
        ],
        [
          "rotate",
          "rotate"
        ],
        [
          "yaw",
          "yaw"
        ],
        [
          "skid",
          "skid"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(automotive, of a driver, ambitransitive) To cause one's vehicle to rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion; or to experience such behavior from one's vehicle."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a driver"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "automotive",
        "transport",
        "vehicles"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Business"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To form a subsidiary company which continues part of the prior operations of the parent company."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "business",
          "business"
        ],
        [
          "subsidiary",
          "subsidiary"
        ],
        [
          "company",
          "company"
        ],
        [
          "parent",
          "parent"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(business) To form a subsidiary company which continues part of the prior operations of the parent company."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "business"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To freak out; to experience a mental health crisis, especially one that is public or damaging; to be drawn into and derailed by a psychotic break, burst of anger, etc; to fail catastrophically, especially if caused by a freak out."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "freak out",
          "freak out"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) To freak out; to experience a mental health crisis, especially one that is public or damaging; to be drawn into and derailed by a psychotic break, burst of anger, etc; to fail catastrophically, especially if caused by a freak out."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Cycling"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be at the upper limit of one's cadence, and therefore unable to pedal faster, especially when there is no higher gear available, such as when descending very rapidly."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cycling",
          "cycling#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "cadence",
          "cadence"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(cycling) To be at the upper limit of one's cadence, and therefore unable to pedal faster, especially when there is no higher gear available, such as when descending very rapidly."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "cycling",
        "hobbies",
        "lifestyle",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-spin out.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/eb/En-au-spin_out.ogg/En-au-spin_out.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/En-au-spin_out.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "to make longer",
      "word": "drag out"
    },
    {
      "sense": "to make longer",
      "word": "string out"
    },
    {
      "topics": [
        "automotive",
        "vehicles",
        "transport",
        "business"
      ],
      "word": "spin off"
    }
  ],
  "word": "spin out"
}

Download raw JSONL data for spin out meaning in English (6.0kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-08-07 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-08-05 using wiktextract (d9fa233 and 9e92f4b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.