as in spending
to hand over or use up in payment
we shelled out an obscene amount of money for those concert tickets
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Recent Examples of shelling out
They were supposed to take a big step forward after finally shelling out a bit of money in the offseason.
—
David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Even just a percentage-point contrast can mean shelling out hundreds more per month on your mortgage payment.
—Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 4 May 2026
Meta has also been on an aggressive AI spending spree, shelling out more than $72 billion for data centers and other AI infrastructure in 2025.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
While content creators can purchase their own tickets — often shelling out thousands for entry — many are invited by brands, some of which offer to cover airfare, accommodations and passes into the festival.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
An $80 round trip to see the World Cup, in addition to shelling out for tickets is well out of reach.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
However, the only highly visible campaign is that of billionaire Steyer, who’s not only hopping around the state for personal appearances but shelling out millions of his own bucks for television and internet ads.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, taxpayers are shelling out $273,063 per hour to keep Air Force One in the air.
—John Whitehead, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
For others, the decision to sell the refund rights was worth it to not deal with shelling out resources for a legal team or the headache of understanding and then undergoing the process to receive the refunds.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Even just a percentage-point contrast can mean shelling out hundreds more per month on your mortgage payment.
—Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 4 May 2026
Meta has also been on an aggressive AI spending spree, shelling out more than $72 billion for data centers and other AI infrastructure in 2025.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
While content creators can purchase their own tickets — often shelling out thousands for entry — many are invited by brands, some of which offer to cover airfare, accommodations and passes into the festival.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
An $80 round trip to see the World Cup, in addition to shelling out for tickets is well out of reach.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
However, the only highly visible campaign is that of billionaire Steyer, who’s not only hopping around the state for personal appearances but shelling out millions of his own bucks for television and internet ads.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, taxpayers are shelling out $273,063 per hour to keep Air Force One in the air.
—John Whitehead, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
For others, the decision to sell the refund rights was worth it to not deal with shelling out resources for a legal team or the headache of understanding and then undergoing the process to receive the refunds.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shelling out
Verb
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Charging documents allege 45-year-old Kelley Ann Haley used the club's debit cards for hundreds of unauthorized purchases and ATM withdrawals between 2019 and early 2025, spending the money on personal expenses, including travel, shopping, and utility bills.—
Caroline Foreback,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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That's unfathomably more than in the past election, when spending on the races totaled less than $1 million.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Local unions can avoid a recertification vote by having 60% of teachers paying dues, which automatically re-certifies the chapter.—
Steven Walker,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
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Under this framework, companies connecting significant new demand to the grid are responsible for paying the costs associated with serving their projects, including 100% of any new power generation required to serve their needs.—
Scott Bores,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
Verb
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There, the pair of college students would listen to the trills of saxophones and shake hands with musicians, sometimes giving band members rides to gigs.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 May 2026
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How Florida’s new voting maps favor white voters Voting rights groups have criticized the new Florida maps as giving an unfair advantage to the GOP and the white communities that make up the majority of the party’s voter base.—
Raisa Habersham,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shelling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shelling%20out. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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