pay out
Britishverb
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to distribute (money); disburse
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(tr) to release (a rope) gradually, hand over hand
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(tr) to retaliate against
noun
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Distribute money, disburse, as in He paid out the full amount . [Mid-1800s]
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Let out a rope by slackening, as in She paid out the rope until it was long enough to tie the canoe onto the car . This nautical expression dates from the late 1700s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Be prepared to pay out of pocket: With most pet insurance, you pay the vet before seeking reimbursement from your insurer.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Analyst Nathan Lead expects DBI to pay out a dividend of 28.6 Australian cents per share in FY27, in quarterly installments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Meta will pay out up to $18bn to almost all US states, plus the District of Columbia and three US territories.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
In a surprise move, Meta said it would pay out only 70% of the settlement unless TikTok and YouTube also agree to time limits.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
“He says the Coast Guard will probably shut down the Coral Queen right away. He says they won’t throw Dusty in jail, but they could make him pay out a fortune in fines.”
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
