shell out

British  

verb

1. informal (adverb) to pay out or hand over (money)

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shell out Idioms  

1. Pay, hand over, as in We had to shell out $1,000 for auto repairs. This expression transfers taking a seed such as a pea or nut out of its pod or shell to taking money out of one's pocket. [Colloquial; c. 1800]

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Etymology

Origin of shell out

C19: from _shell (in the sense: to remove from a pod or (figuratively) a purse)

Example Sentences

Your experience is, perhaps, a reminder of when to opt for a budget airline and when to shell out for a carrier that operates more aircraft more frequently.

From MarketWatch

He added that Americans shell out about $16 billion on pizza, wings and merchandise for Super Bowl Sunday.

From The Wall Street Journal

That doesn’t include the tens of millions of dollars that brands often shell out to craft the ads.

From The Wall Street Journal

Not everyone as obsessed with Chipotle as Cignetti shells out this much dough on burritos.

From The Wall Street Journal

Delta Air Lines DAL -1.77%decrease; red down pointing triangle expects high-earning flyers who shell out for premium amenities to boost its profits this year.

From The Wall Street Journal