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.
Healthcare providers have complained that insurers don’t always pay out the amounts that arbitrators award.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The aggressive investment products are tailored to pay out twice the profits of a single stock but also twice the losses, and have been criticised for exposing retail investors to market hype and volatility.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Kalshi was sued by its traders after it initially refused to pay out winnings, citing its policy against “assassination” bets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Meanwhile, the CMA has not said how many suppliers have agreed to compensate customers for cancelled orders, how many customers will receive a pay out, or how much they will get.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Young friends, whose string-and-tin-can phone extended from island to island, had to pay out more and more string, as if letting kites go higher and higher. “
From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
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.
