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.
Smith is nervous that it won’t pay out if she needs something costly like a hospital stay.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
In the U.S., the market for weight-loss pills is expected to largely be what is called “direct pay,” meaning that Americans bypass the health-insurance system and pay out of pocket for slightly lower-priced medications.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
Doses will start at at $25 a month for patients with insurance coverage and $149 for those who pay out of pocket.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
A few hours before the Senate vote, US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that he would sign an executive order "to immediately pay out TSA Agents".
From BBC • Mar. 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.
