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

Those willing to shell out the most were Gen Zers ($7,856), followed by Gen Xers ($6,347). — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 Aug. 2026

Madrid only wants to shell out $58 million (€50 million), however, and perhaps make up the rest in add-ons. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026

Both Brighton & Hove Albion and Newcastle United have shelled out over £100million on new players but each, and particularly the latter, have recouped plenty too. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026

OpenAI shelled out some serious cash to host about 30 internet personalities at a luxury resort called Wildflower Farms in upstate New York over the weekend. — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 4 Aug. 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