as in to spend
to hand over or use up in payment
we shelled out an obscene amount of money for those concert tickets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shell out
According to Democrats on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, each family in the United States has shelled out nearly $1,200 in tariff costs over the past 10 months alone.
—
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
These dads are willing to shell out the big bucks, even though over half (55%) say their holiday shopping budgets have tightened over the last year, and 56% feel pressure to make every dollar count.
—Phillip Goericke, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
Under Par’s old leadership, that company’s own premium brand, Showtime, has been all but destroyed, leaving Paramount+ desperately in need of the kind of upscale content that gets a certain subset of subscribers to shell out for a higher tier.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
The Bay Area Host Committee, which is covering the cost of putting on the six matches at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, is expected to shell out between $45 million and $50 million.
—Gabriel Sama, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shell out
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
These dads are willing to shell out the big bucks, even though over half (55%) say their holiday shopping budgets have tightened over the last year, and 56% feel pressure to make every dollar count.
—Phillip Goericke, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2025
Under Par’s old leadership, that company’s own premium brand, Showtime, has been all but destroyed, leaving Paramount+ desperately in need of the kind of upscale content that gets a certain subset of subscribers to shell out for a higher tier.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
The Bay Area Host Committee, which is covering the cost of putting on the six matches at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, is expected to shell out between $45 million and $50 million.
—Gabriel Sama, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shell out
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell out
Verb
-
Joabe Barbosa, Matthew Plese and Omar Yousaf spent the day riding the entire MARTA rail system in an attempt to complete the full route in roughly three hours.—
Kaley Fedko,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Visitors can spend their entire trip switching off between the two, but be sure to take some time to explore the rocky cove beaches called calas that have made Costa Blanca famous.—
Liz Provencher,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This means any unpaid amount, whether utilities or other charges, can make an account delinquent because it must be paid at the same time as rent.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Planting a vineyard in the Bay Area can cost between $30,000 and $80,000 per acre, but some are choosing to just leave them sit rather than pay to maintain them.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Motions lay out legal battle to come The details come in a 24-page filing by prosecutors aimed at limiting the arguments and material used by Dugan's legal team during the five-day trial.—
John Diedrich,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The policy memorandums lay out in detail his plans to enhance physical fitness, grooming standards and military readiness.—
NPR,
NPR,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shell out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell%20out. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share