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

See Examples For:

shell out

U.S. advertisers will shell out $13.8 billion in commissions to affiliate sellers across platforms this year, up 11.3%, nearly twice the growth rate of e-commerce spending overall, eMarketer estimates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Last year, business owners signaled they weren’t willing to shell out more every year to make it happen.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

If you want to make a 20% down payment on a $750,000 home, the recommended percentage to avoid private mortgage insurance, you’d need to shell out $150,000.

From MarketWatch ● May 29, 2026

Back in 2022 you only had to shell out £1 for the average box of six supermarket own brand free-range eggs.

From BBC ● May 24, 2026

“Thet’s jest exackly what I told Miss Love, son. I said, ‘How many folks is a-go’n shell out for a artermobile when they got a horse and buggy in the barn?’

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns