Fan (Verb)
Meaning 1
Make (an emotion) fiercer; "fan hatred".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- Her inflammatory speech fanned the flames of rebellion in the crowd.
- The politician's comments fanned public outrage over the corruption scandal.
- Their arguments and unfulfilled expectations only fanned the flames of unrest.
- The protests fanned feelings of discontent and resentment among the population.
- The city's extreme heat fanned fears of another devastating drought.
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Agitate the air.
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- The warm breeze helped fan the flames of the campfire, spreading them quickly.
- She used a large leaf to fan the air and cool herself down from the intense heat.
- The blades of the ceiling fan worked to circulate the air and lower the room temperature.
- As she stood in the sweltering sun, she began to fan the air with her hat for some relief.
- Her hand moved back and forth, creating a cooling breeze as she fanned herself under the shade of the umbrella.
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
Strike out (a batter), (of a pitcher).
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The pitcher fanned the batter to end the inning in style with his sharp curveball.
- In the bottom of the ninth, the pitcher fanned three batters in a row to earn the save.
- Johnson fanned each of the first three batters he faced, setting the tone for a great outing.
- Hernandez was able to fan eleven batters last night, setting a new record for the season.
- With two outs, the pitcher had to fan the final batter to keep the one-run lead intact.
Meaning 4
Blow away or off with a current of air; "winnow chaff"; "The speaker ceased to be an amusing little gnat to be fanned away and was kicked off the forum".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- A quick breeze came through and fanned the dry leaves away from the porch.
- The players were caught off guard as the strong gust of wind fanned the newspaper clippings off the desk.
- She delicately fanned the ashes away from the remaining sparks in the campfire.
- Once the flames died down, she began to gently fan the smoldering embers away from the children.
- As the fans in the arena spun to life, they began to fan the confetti away from the playing field.