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 Then on August 10, a large container ship paid a staggering $4 million to fast-track its trip — leaving others, either unwilling or unable to shell out that kind of sum, in maritime limbo. — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026 Tech’s hyperscalers are shelling out hundreds of billions of dollars this year on capital expenditures to fuel data center develop and purchase the graphics processing units needed to fill them. — Kate Rooney, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026 But the Dodgers are the greatest show in baseball, playing before stadiums packed with fans willing to shell out top dollar to see a roster that includes international superstars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Residents described throwing away food, shelling out for generators and sending their children away to family. — Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shell out

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shell out

Verb

Robert spent the prior six years with Chicago, hitting 38 home runs and stealing 20 bases in 2023, his best season and lone All-Star appearance.

— Will Sammon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
While higher earners had been spending more using credit cards, the institute said the gap across income classes began narrowing in May of this year.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of spend

Verb

Swift also paid tribute to Parton’s prolific and breathtaking body of work and her philanthropic efforts across the globe.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Connie Britton paid tribute to Dolly Parton, less than two weeks after the loss of her Nashville costar Hayden Panettiere.

— Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of pay

Verb

Nicholas was forced to contact members and lay out an extended plan for how the surfaces would be improved, ranging from the straightforward to the nuclear.

— Ben Jones Aug. 26, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
One of the only signs of the trial that has drawn international attention was on a set of 14 video screens that lay out all of the cases to be heard in the building each day.

— Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of shell out

verb

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