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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More than one in three West Virginia households is considered energy burdened, spending more than 6% of their income on electricity and other fuel costs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
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After photos emerged of New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spending time with NFL reporter Dianna Russini at a luxury hotel in Arizona, Russini said the photos were taken out of context and her employer has come to her defense.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The list prices of their shots are roughly $1,000 per month before insurance and other rebates, or discounts for cash-paying patients — a sum that has long prevented many others from starting and staying on treatment.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2026
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Many players also opt for deferrals and large signing bonuses (as opposed to a higher salary) to avoid paying income tax in certain states.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Rocus, also known as The Bone Wreck, ran aground while transporting a cargo of cow bones to be used as fertilizer on the island, thus giving Anegada's Cow Wreck Beach its unique name.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2026
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All in all, Springs totaled seven scoreless innings, one hit, two walks, six strikeouts and 93 pitches before giving way to a bullpen that also blanked the Bombers.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shelling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shelling%20out. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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