as in expense
a payment made in the course of achieving a result
the outlays for the couple's upcoming wedding seem to be multiplying at an incredible rate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to spend
to hand over or use up in payment
the nation had outlaid nearly 20 billion dollars on social programs at that point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outlay
ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The 58-page resolution calls for total federal spending of $60 trillion in on-budget outlays over the next decade and nearly $80 trillion in total outlays when spending on Social Security and the Postal Service are included, according to a summary table produced by the Senate Budget Committee.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 21 Apr. 2026
Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
Linear ratings are in decline and ad demand has been muted for several quarters owing to economic unrest and changes in how Madison Avenue outlays its dollars for media.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for outlay
Noun
Kennedy cited a Congressional Budget Office report showing that Medicaid outlays are estimated to increase by about 47% over the next decade.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The 58-page resolution calls for total federal spending of $60 trillion in on-budget outlays over the next decade and nearly $80 trillion in total outlays when spending on Social Security and the Postal Service are included, according to a summary table produced by the Senate Budget Committee.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
Vasquez then asked if the RDA had outlaid any money for LaPorte County for shoreline development.
—Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
Linear ratings are in decline and ad demand has been muted for several quarters owing to economic unrest and changes in how Madison Avenue outlays its dollars for media.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for outlay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlay
Noun
-
While the emotional weight of a mother defending her child is undeniable, supporters of Save Girls’ Sports argue compassion for one athlete should not come at the expense of opportunities for other young women.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
The state would manage all medical insurance — more efficiently and at less consumer expense, advocates insist.—
George Skelton,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
This is not fusion, but testament to the world as one big town, as perhaps only a third-culture kid — with Filipino and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry, and a girlhood spent in the Deep South — would know.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Barker worked at Starbucks and spent every free moment writing and shooting.—
Alex Barasch,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Access to early education remains limited, waitlists are long, and costs continue to rise.—
Tina Dello Russo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
Travel to North Africa or the Middle East may require more planning, higher costs and longer journeys.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 May 2026
Verb
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If all of that stuff has to be paid for by hard campaign dollars, dollars that would be disclosed within 100 days to who?—
NBC news,
NBC news,
10 May 2026
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The annual event pays homage to the 27 million Soviet citizens who died in that war.—
Guy Faulconbridge,
USA Today,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Capital expenditure from the country’s largest tech firms could add up to some $700 billion this year, largely driven by commitments to build the data centers and other infrastructure required to train, deploy, and maintain AI models.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
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This mission led to a 2025 law that requires streaming services with more than 1 million Australian subscribers to invest 10% of their total expenditure for the country on local content.—
Leila Berger,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Outlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlay. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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