SHELL OUT Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

shell out

verb

Definition of shell out

as in to spend

to hand over or use up in payment we shelled out an obscene amount of money for those concert tickets

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of shell out Perhaps its biggest challenge is getting customers to shell out more to fly, something Delta and United zeroed in on years ago. — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 19 July 2026 Some real-estate experts contend, however, that institutions shelling out millions to underwrite a property are already dead set on recouping their investments. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 19 July 2026 In fact, Burj Al Babas was planned as a luxurious, stately urban development offering the look of royal living for anyone willing to shell out anywhere from $370,000 to $500,000 for their own little palace. — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 16 July 2026 Now, with less than a month to go before the August 4th primary, AIPAC has already shelled out nearly five times that amount in pro-Stevens and anti-El-Sayed ads. — Jason Zengerle, New Yorker, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shell out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell out

Verb

Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of The Power of Habit, which spent over three years on bestseller lists and has been translated into 40 languages, and Smarter Faster Better, also a bestseller.

— Big Think, Big Think, 2 Aug. 2026
Syeda Sultana, chief operating officer at the digital marketing platform Vettted, spent a decade managing a global sustainability program.

— Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

Tuesday’s first two episodes lay out again what happened before the news first broke.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 28 July 2026
Money remains one of the biggest sources of conflict in relationships, yet most couples never lay out the full picture before signing a lease together.

— Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 July 2026

Definition of lay out

Browse Nearby Words

shelling out

shell out

shells

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“Shell out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shell%20out. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of shell out

verb

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