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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Baltimore County spends significantly less per resident on fire and EMS services than many comparable jurisdictions.—
Nick Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
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San Francisco currently spends about $700 million to $800 million per year on homelessness, aided by the passage in 2018 of the Proposition C gross receipts tax on businesses with annual revenue greater than $50 million, but has yet to make a dent in its intractable homelessness problem.—
Adam B. Summers,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Her mom pays her for her work in cash, privileges and Ugg boots.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
6 May 2026
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The plaintiffs are demanding that Cento bears the cost of the class notice and pays $25 million or more to the class members.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Verb
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January 20 – February 18 Pulling back slightly gives you a clearer read on everything today.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
5 May 2026
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Buxton knows the plan — a fighting retreat that saves ownership money but still gives the team the chance to regroup and compete for a division title with strong starting pitching and an aggressive, small-ball approach from a young, athletic lineup.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shells out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shells%20out. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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