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
Miami is rumored to be interested in his services, and the Hurricanes are no strangers to shelling out lucrative deals to lure top passers.
—
Arkansas Online, 24 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
So, county leaders are shelling out money for hotel vouchers.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 21 Jan. 2026
Still, shelling out that money could be worth it for the access granted to Davos delegates.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2026
Apple Valley is shelling out millions to level up its youth sports facilities.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
To add insult to injury, Massachusetts taxpayers aren’t just covering their own costs, but shelling out for the bloated salaries of high-ranking public employees and their subsequent ballooning pensions.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
Nvidia itself previously used the tactic, shelling out more than $900 million in September to hire Enfabrica CEO Rochan Sankar and other employees at the AI hardware startup, and to license the company’s technology, CNBC reported at the time.
—Ari Levy, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2025
Before shelling out a significant portion of their cash for a diamond engagement ring or other fine jewelry, purchasers depended on conventional jewelers for in-person assurance for decades.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Arkansas Online, 24 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
So, county leaders are shelling out money for hotel vouchers.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 21 Jan. 2026
Still, shelling out that money could be worth it for the access granted to Davos delegates.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 20 Jan. 2026
Apple Valley is shelling out millions to level up its youth sports facilities.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 18 Jan. 2026
To add insult to injury, Massachusetts taxpayers aren’t just covering their own costs, but shelling out for the bloated salaries of high-ranking public employees and their subsequent ballooning pensions.
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 14 Jan. 2026
Nvidia itself previously used the tactic, shelling out more than $900 million in September to hire Enfabrica CEO Rochan Sankar and other employees at the AI hardware startup, and to license the company’s technology, CNBC reported at the time.
—Ari Levy, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2025
Before shelling out a significant portion of their cash for a diamond engagement ring or other fine jewelry, purchasers depended on conventional jewelers for in-person assurance for decades.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shelling out
Verb
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Instead of spending scarce early capital on headcount or agencies, founders can test more ideas, move faster and lower the cost of getting started.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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People are spending more time in the gym; zeroing in on wellness and longevity; and even planning their holidays around fitness and wellness offerings.—
Madeleine Schulz,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This hits home for us in Massachusetts, and residents should be paying attention.—
Jennifer Nassour,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Consumers are paying more attention than ever before.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Stocks @ Night is a daily newsletter delivered after hours, giving you a first look at tomorrow and last look at today.—
Jason Gewirtz,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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And then there’s the new DineAlley, which curates private culinary journeys across the Tasman Peninsula, giving guests behind-the-scenes access to working farms, vineyards, oyster sheds and distilleries that are otherwise difficult to visit on your own.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shelling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shelling%20out. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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