shell out

verb

shelled out; shelling out; shells out

: pay

Synonyms of shell out

• 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

Pet owners can pick from any number of automatic cat feeders at this point, and even shell out hundreds of dollars for a particularly fancy kit. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Nov. 2026

While shelling out money to send and receive email isn’t ideal, using free services can cost you your privacy. — Stephanie Barnes, PC Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026

This trend is important for understanding which consumers are shelling out cash. — Erin Kay Lockwood, The Conversation, 30 Oct. 2026

Conversely, those snapping up the CPO timepieces are happy to shell out extra for a watchmaker’s guarantee and servicing. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2026

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