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
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
Tech megacaps like Google and Meta are also sparing no expense, shelling out billions of dollars to hire AI researchers and tens of billions a year to build out massive data centers.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
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
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
Tech megacaps like Google and Meta are also sparing no expense, shelling out billions of dollars to hire AI researchers and tens of billions a year to build out massive data centers.
—Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shelling out
Verb
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Utilities are spending billions of dollars upgrading their aging infrastructure, while data centers are prompting a surge in demand for electricity.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
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Wagner Moura Basking in the sun outside The Times newsroom ahead of his digital cover shoot last month, Wagner Moura seemed exceptionally relaxed about spending his Tuesday afternoon in El Segundo with a bunch of journalists.—
Matt Brennan
Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In most of the cases, State Farm denied policyholders who had no connection to the company beyond paying their premiums.—
J.C. Hallman,
Oklahoman,
10 Feb. 2026
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For rural counties with limited money, not paying the attorneys on the juvenile docket allows the court to pay for jurors, attorneys on other dockets, courthouse improvements and more, Fransein said.—
Raynee Howell,
Oklahoma Watch,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This research marks the first time scientists have identified the specific amino acids — arginine and tyrosine — that act as molecular glue, giving spider silk its legendary properties.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
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There are also giant granite boulders dotting the shore, giving it a decidedly remote, rugged feel.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shelling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shelling%20out. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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