as in spending
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 shelling out
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
Amazon shares have dropped nearly 6% in 2026 as Wall Street worried that Big Tech may shelling out too much for data center buildouts.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
This means the perfectionist in you can zero in on the perfect shade of beige or blue without shelling out for customized covers.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026
Higher global energy prices could lead to consumers paying more for gasoline at the pump and shelling out more for groceries and other goods, at a time when many are already feeling the impacts of elevated inflation.
—Cathy Bussewitz, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
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
Amazon shares have dropped nearly 6% in 2026 as Wall Street worried that Big Tech may shelling out too much for data center buildouts.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 5 Mar. 2026
This means the perfectionist in you can zero in on the perfect shade of beige or blue without shelling out for customized covers.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026
Higher global energy prices could lead to consumers paying more for gasoline at the pump and shelling out more for groceries and other goods, at a time when many are already feeling the impacts of elevated inflation.
—Cathy Bussewitz, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shelling out
Verb
-
Guro Reiten is sitting inside her apartment in Norway, in between spending time with her 5-month-old son and packing her life away.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
After a backlash, Kennedy has also pivoted to spending more time talking about less controversial topics like healthy eating — albeit with his own spin, including sharing exaggerated claims that various ailments can be cured by diet alone.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Alan’s brother, Merrill Osmond, 72, was among those paying tribute.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Wrestlers operated as independent contractors, and this allowed the McMahons to avoid paying benefits.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 2022, researchers concluded that Neanderthals and humans lived alongside each other in France and Spain for up to 2,900 years, giving them plenty of time to potentially learn from or even breed with each other.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
As was the case with the white-and-green dress for her Pakistan tour, Elizabeth, in her fashion choices, sought not only to avoid giving offense but to offer symbolic ingratiation, and among the most fascinating garments on display are those representing diplomatic dressing.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shelling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shelling%20out. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
