shell out

verb

shelled out; shelling out; shells out

: pay

Synonyms

• spend
• pay
• lay out

Examples of shell out in a Sentence

we shelled out an obscene amount of money for those concert tickets

Recent Examples on the Web

Massachusetts taxpayers are shelling out an average of $3,496 a week for each family in the emergency shelter system, a decades-old program that was created to provide immediate, temporary housing to pregnant women and families with children, according to the report. —Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald, 18 June 2025

The firm could have to shell out another $8 billion to get beyond the 67,000 or so outstanding claims, according to Holly Froum, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 18 June 2025

The world’s richest man backed Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the 2024 election, shelling out nearly $300 million in a bid to land them in the White House. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025

Great — everyone’s favorite aspect of the automotive experience: shelling out for insurance and gas! —Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 17 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shell out

• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout
• checkout
• closeout
• cutout
• devout
• dropout