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
So the idea is that Breakaway goers aren’t shelling out all of this extra money just to get to the concert and stay in town.
—
Sydney Lake, 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
Otherwise, patients could wind up shelling out hundreds of dollars a month for medications without having that expense chip away at their annual deductibles, which could be thousands of dollars.
—Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Everything seemed to go right for pro football last year, from notching a 10% year-over-year viewership gain to nail-biting finishes to the kind of unpredictability in team rankings that keeps fans glued to live telecasts and shelling out huge dollars to attend games.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Musk warned Wall Street that as part of these plans, the company would be shelling out a lot of cash in the year ahead — an eye-popping $20 billion, more than double what the company spent on capital expenditures in 2025.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 28 Jan. 2026
In contrast, if players remain committed to ARC Raiders, a game that has extremely impressive player retention so far, shelling out $40 for a different extraction game may not be appealing.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Sydney Lake, 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
Otherwise, patients could wind up shelling out hundreds of dollars a month for medications without having that expense chip away at their annual deductibles, which could be thousands of dollars.
—Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Everything seemed to go right for pro football last year, from notching a 10% year-over-year viewership gain to nail-biting finishes to the kind of unpredictability in team rankings that keeps fans glued to live telecasts and shelling out huge dollars to attend games.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Musk warned Wall Street that as part of these plans, the company would be shelling out a lot of cash in the year ahead — an eye-popping $20 billion, more than double what the company spent on capital expenditures in 2025.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 28 Jan. 2026
In contrast, if players remain committed to ARC Raiders, a game that has extremely impressive player retention so far, shelling out $40 for a different extraction game may not be appealing.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shelling out
Verb
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Despite spending the majority of his life in North Carolina and part of his youth in Charlotte, Miller noted that the 49ers’ campus was completely different from his last time turning off Highway 49.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Mar. 2026
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Newer models have refined the design and added more high-tech features, but the iPhone X offers that iconic modern-day iPhone aesthetic for much cheaper; instead of spending close to $1,000, this model costs less than $165.—
Cierra Cowan,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Accordingly, here’s a look at 10 high-paying careers that are dominated – or at least led – by women.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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For a 200-unit project receiving city incentives, for example, that would mean paying $200,000 rather than include 40 affordable units in a development.—
Chris Higgins,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Texas had subbed 7-foot center Matas Vokietaitis out of the game with 11 seconds left after Boilermakers big man Oscar Cluff had fouled out, giving Purdue a better opportunity in the paint.—
Janie McCauley,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
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Senate Majority Leader Thune changed his vote from yes to no, giving himself the option of bringing up the motion again.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shelling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shelling%20out. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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