Phrasal verb
spin out
Definition
phrasal verb. to make something last longer than it really needs to, or to lose control of a car so that it turns around and around.
phrasal verb. to protract a process or narrative beyond its natural or necessary duration; alternatively, to lose directional control of a vehicle, resulting in a series of rotations. The transitive sense (protract) is often used in business or creative contexts.
Examples
“He tried to spin out the meeting until five o'clock.”
“The driver hit a patch of ice and watched the car spin out into the ditch.”
“The novelist managed to spin out a thin plot into a five-hundred-page epic, though critics found the pacing somewhat sluggish.”
Examples
simple
“He tried to spin out the meeting until five o'clock.”
contextual
“The driver hit a patch of ice and watched the car spin out into the ditch.”
complex
“The novelist managed to spin out a thin plot into a five-hundred-page epic, though critics found the pacing somewhat sluggish.”
Usage
when meaning 'to protract', it is transitive and often separable; the vehicular sense is intransitive.
Teaching tip
distinguish between the physical loss of control (intransitive) and the intentional extension of time (transitive); the latter often carries a slightly negative connotation of wasting time.
Pitfall
The car spun out it on the road.
The car spun out on the road.
when referring to a vehicle losing control, the verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
spin (+ object) + out
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944EikenEikenTest in Practical English ProficiencyThe English proficiency test from the Eiken Foundation of Japan, widely taken by Japanese students. Grades run from 5 to 1, with Pre-1 and Pre-2 between them.Pre-1
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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