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
The agency will also pay out benefits if you’re a dependent or survivor, if the worker whose record is being used earned at least 40 credits or lived in the U.S. for 10 years.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 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
World Aquatics does pay out rewards to record-breaking athletes, but because the China Open was not organised by the governing body, no bonuses were sanctioned.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
“Believe me, George Finkle will find a way to weasel out of paying the money. No way he’s going to pay out a million bucks for sinking a crummy foul shot.”
From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman
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.
