OUTLAYS Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

outlays 1 of 2

noun

plural of outlay

as in expenses

a payment made in the course of achieving a result the outlays for the couple's upcoming wedding seem to be multiplying at an incredible rate

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outlays

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of outlay

as in spends

to hand over or use up in payment the nation had outlaid nearly 20 billion dollars on social programs at that point

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 outlays

Noun

Willy Kurniawan | Reuters Indonesia may have trouble meeting its economic-growth goals for the coming year, after spending 2026 on the defensive amid questions about fiscal outlays and the prospects of a downgrade from MSCI. — Celestine Iyer, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026 In the first 10 months of the 2026 fiscal year, interest costs have eclipsed Medicare healthcare outlays to become the second-largest line item in the federal budget, behind the Social Security pension system. — Reuters, NBC news, 19 Aug. 2026 In the first 10 months of the 2026 fiscal year, interest costs have eclipsed Medicare health care outlays to become the second-largest line-item in the federal budget, behind the Social Security pension system. — David Lawder, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 Defense Department military spending rose $39 billion (5%) on personnel and R&D; Veterans Affairs outlays rose $34 billion (11%) on more beneficiaries and higher per-person costs. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026 In 1945, 84 percent of federal outlays were on defense, a tsunami of spending that would ebb once World War II concluded. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026 The company still expects capital expenditures in excess of $25 billion this year, and executives are now predicting even larger outlays going forward. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 July 2026 The top 20% of the income distribution now accounts for nearly 60% of all personal outlays, up from about half in the early 1990s. — Richard Kestenbaum, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlays

Noun

The bank had expected profit to decline on the back of higher raw material and tea leaf costs, as well as expenses related to the company’s vending machine business.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026
Build Reserves For Economic Uncertainty Have an emergency fund that covers your company expenses for six months in case of unexpected economic fluctuations.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of expenses

Verb

Gray is central to the investment calls Blackstone makes, and spends his weekends reading memos on potential deals in preparation for his weekly investment committee meetings.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Our roads get a D+ by the American Society of Civil Engineers, which found Colorado spends 35% more on car repairs than the national average.

— Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of spends

Noun

Behrouz Mehri | Afp | Getty Images France's deteriorating public finances and political deadlock are becoming a growing concern for bond investors, with borrowing costs near financial-crisis-era highs as another difficult budget battle looms.

— Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026
Restaurants and private grocery stores are struggling to stay open because of higher supply costs and lower consumption.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of costs

Verb

The government created a national preventive care program decades ago and gave every citizen a right to regular checkups, which gave clinics a reason to buy expensive machines, which brought the volume that pays for the expensive machines.

— Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
The Avon Historical Society pays the liability for the inside of the building and the structural repairs, like the roof, are the town’s responsibility.

— Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of pays

Noun

Screenshot The company’s capital expenditures were roughly $2 billion combined in 2024 and 2025, with expectations of $725 million this year.

— Michael Wayland, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026
This value was divided by the total spent to determine the percentage of expenditures that would have been unallowable or not recommended in one or more of these states.

— Aneri Pattani — KFF Health News, STAT, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of expenditures

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outlaying

outlays

outlet

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“Outlays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlays. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of outlays

noun

verb

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