shell out

verb

shelled out; shelling out; shells out
: pay

Examples of shell out in a Sentence

we shelled out an obscene amount of money for those concert tickets
Recent Examples on the Web The change also reflects inflation-weary shoppers’ continued focus on necessities; though consumer prices have cooled significantly since their mid-2022 peak, Americans are still shelling out more for groceries, gasoline and other essentials. Jaclyn Peiser, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 To avoid sanctions and a price cap on oil shipments, Russia had to shell out billions to buy a shadow fleet of aging tankers that don’t use Western insurers who have to honor the price ceiling. David McHugh and Vladimir Isachenkov, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024 That can certainly take some of the sting from shelling out for a $80 PPV. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 By Megan Wells, Andy Cooper and Kevin Keane Another year, another Super Bowl, another lively discussion of whether the millions and millions of dollars shelled out by performance marketers moved the needle of impact for brand audiences. Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 According to The Wall Street Journal, Wallace and his wife shelled out a cool $900,000 for the vacant piece of land back in 2002 and dropped an additional $11 million on construction. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 Feb. 2024 Climbing this popular mountain isn’t the only thing travelers to Japan will have to shell out more money for. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024 Genting America East, the parent corporation of Resorts World, plans to shell out 3,000 employee housing units, and 10 acres of a new community park alongside improved transportation options to John F. Kennedy Airport, according to Commercial Observer. Ime Ekpo, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 With so many eyes glued to the tube all at once, advertisers shell out enormous sums to hawk their wares, while super star performers consider headlining the Halftime Show a career highlight. Doug McIntyre, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shell out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shell out was in 1801

Dictionary Entries Near shell out

Cite this Entry

“Shell out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shell%20out. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!