pay out
Britishverb
-
to distribute (money); disburse
-
(tr) to release (a rope) gradually, hand over hand
-
(tr) to retaliate against
noun
-
Distribute money, disburse, as in He paid out the full amount . [Mid-1800s]
-
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.
It expects Beach to pay out A$0.04/share, some 33% above consensus forecasts for A$0.03/share.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
It would also be financially costly, as the government would have to pay out dairy farmers through a compensation package that some estimate to be in the billions.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 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
“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.
