SHELL OUT Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

shell out

verb

Definition of shell out

as in to spend

to hand over or use up in payment we shelled out an obscene amount of money for those concert tickets

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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 The space agency shelled out billions of dollars to Boeing as well as SpaceX for ferry service once the space shuttles retired. — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026 But shelling out the dough doesn’t automatically grant access; potential members are vetted through a rigorous application process. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026 That’s the standard that USC was expecting in shelling out over $11 million per year to its football coach. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 Americans have had to shell out more to fill up their cars in recent months as the war with Iran drives up prices at the pump. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shell out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell out

Verb

Hochul's announcement came shortly after dozens of students and community members spent hours demanding transparency and accountability from university leaders at a forum sponsored by Cornell's student government.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
Earlier this year, César Alvarez spent far too much of their play The Potluck having their onstage avatar wiggle around on the hook of writing The Potluck.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

That was in part to force the fathers to pay child maintenance, thus saving taxpayers’ money, but also supposedly to save the souls of both parents.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
From there, the five networks distribute footage to their local station affiliates and paying subscribers, including The Washington Post, which is a digital subscriber.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of pay

Verb

The parties involved in the litigation—as well as Red Lobster itself, which is not being sued—declined to comment for this article, but their court filings lay out the sad saga in dramatic detail.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Coat a large baking sheet with the olive oil, and lay out the tortillas in a single layer.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of lay out

Browse Nearby Words

shelling out

shell out

shells

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Style

“Shell out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell%20out. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of shell out

verb

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