payout

[ pey-out ]

/ ˈpeɪˌaʊt /

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noun

an act or instance of paying, expending, or disbursing.

money paid, expended, or disbursed, as a dividend or winning: He went to the betting window to collect his payout.

verb phrase pay out

[pey-out] /ˈpeɪ ˈaʊt/ .

to distribute (money, wages, etc.); disburse.
to get revenge upon for an injury; requite.
to let out (a rope) by slackening.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of payout

First recorded in 1900–05; noun use of verb phrase pay out

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use payout in a sentence

This leaves thousands of women at companies across the United States left to pay out of pocket for their birth control.
The 26 Next Hobby Lobbys|Abby Haglage|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How much the vouchers are worth, and how much women are expected to pay out-of-pocket, depends on what state they live in.
Free Market Failure: Raising a Kid Is a Rigged Game in the USA|Monica Potts|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
High-profile women like news anchor Joan Lunden and actress Linda Lavin have had to pay out sizable sums.
Is Alimony Anti-Feminist?|Keli Goff|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many insurance contracts expressly consider civil unrest a reason not to pay out policies.
Ferguson's Other Race Problem: Riots Damaged Asian-Owned Stores|Tim Mak|August 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

If the marriage was invalid, Grayson does not have to pay out a dime in alimony as opposed to a divorce.
Congressman Accuses Wife Of Bigamy|Ben Jacobs|April 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It may seem a simple matter to distribute or "pay out" the cable, but in practice it is exceedingly difficult.
St. Nicholas, Vol. 5, No. 5, March, 1878|Various
It would take their young lady two or three years to pay out her cash and get her equivalent.
The Tragic Muse|Henry James
As soon as we had fixed our stations Hall began to pay out the string, and the kite rose very swiftly.
The Moon Metal|Garrett P. Serviss
I charge each hog $1 for bran and shorts; this is all the ready money I pay out for him.
The Fat of the Land|John Williams Streeter
After all, the pay out here is quite as high, in comparison with the ordinary rate of earning of a peasant, as it is in England.
The Tiger of Mysore|G. A. Henty

British Dictionary definitions for payout

pay out

verb (adverb)

to distribute (money); disburse

(tr) to release (a rope) gradually, hand over hand

(tr) to retaliate against

noun payout

a sum of money paid out

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with payout

pay out

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.