spread vs fan out

spread is a noun but fan out is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
spread	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
fan out	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, fan out is a hyponym of spread; that is, fan out is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than spread:

As verbs, spread and fan out are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of spread include diffuse, spread out.

spread (noun)	fan out (noun)
act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time
decorative cover for a bed
farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
a haphazard distribution in all directions
the expansion of a person's girth (especially at middle age)
a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures
two facing pages of a book or other publication
process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space
a tasty mixture to be spread on bread or crackers or used in preparing other dishes
a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed

spread (adjective)	fan out (adjective)
distributed or spread over a considerable extent
fully extended in width
prepared or arranged for a meal; especially having food set out

spread (verb)	fan out (verb)
cause to become widely known	move outward
become widely known and passed on
distribute or disperse widely
spread out or open from a closed or folded state
become distributed or widespread
cover by spreading something over
distribute over a surface in a layer
strew or distribute over an area
move outward
spread across or over