as in spends
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 shells out
Google already shells out billions to Apple each year to be the default search engine on iPhones.
—
Samantha Subin, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Samantha Subin, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shells out
Verb
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Marty is self-absorbed, forgetful, doesn’t much like people and spends hours online looking for advice about how to be a handyman.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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The first two will be built in Finland while the company spends between $700 million to $1 billion to renovate the shipyards in the ports of Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Not everyone pays for Prime Video and Netflix, while others have cut the cord and don’t have cable.—
Andrew Marchand,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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But the team then pays for it later, as the cap number that got eliminated from one year gets redistributed throughout the rest of the term of the deal.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This kit gives you the tools to protect yourself and your loved ones — especially vulnerable groups like children, older adults, and those with chronic conditions.—
CBS LA Staff,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Those are two key factors courts weigh in issuing TROs, after which a judge gives a fuller consideration as the legal process plays out.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shells out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shells%20out. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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