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.
He was suspended from “Today” in October 2016 and did not return to the program as the network chose to pay out his contract.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
The products pay out an annual amount, within a set band, based on an index.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
A deductible determines how much one needs to pay out of pocket before their insurance coverage starts paying for claims.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
Insurers tend to buy longer-dated bonds and mortgages that pay out cash for years, matching liabilities that stretch out decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 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.
