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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WalletHub estimates the average person spends about $200 on Valentine’s Day.—
Katey Psencik,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
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Even a stretch of sub-zero weather like one in late January and early February won’t harm the black-legged tick, the Lyme disease-carrying species that should be familiar to anyone who spends time outdoors in Rhode Island.—
Alex Kuffner,
The Providence Journal,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The album's eclectic throwback sound pays tribute to the singer's Boricua roots, incorporating traditional genres such as Plena, salsa and jibaro into his signature Latin urbano style.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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Another conundrum is how to model a fair system to charge for cars registered outside of the municipality that owns and pays for the parking facility.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The bill also gives the legal right to anyone who is harmed by such material to seek a remedy and bring an action against the entity that distributed the material.—
Mohamed Suliman,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
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Health Benefits of Turmeric Latte The primary compound in turmeric, curcumin, gives turmeric lattes their bright yellow color.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shells out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shells%20out. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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