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.
The Social Security Administration temporarily reduces the amount they pay out to people who are receiving benefits but also earning over certain thresholds, but that restriction lifts at Full Retirement Age.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 18, 2026
Those typically run between 10 and 30 years and pay out only if the policy holder dies during that period.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Patients can wind up on the hook for big charges if insurers deny the claims or pay out less than what’s billed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
"The average dividend we'll pay out to an individual saver will be around £300 a year."
From BBC • May 25, 2026
The pigeon, very offended, flew back to the Bird Woman and, to pay out Mary Poppins, stuck the rose in the ribbon of the Bird Woman's hat.
From "Mary Poppins" by P. L. Travers
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.
