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.
In the U.S., the market for weight-loss pills is expected to largely be what is called “direct pay,” meaning that Americans bypass the health-insurance system and pay out of pocket for slightly lower-priced medications.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
It is currently only available for creators in the US and Canada, and will pay out for a maximum of three months.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026
“Instead, companies will enjoy the added cash flow buffer of higher prices and boost cash on their balance sheets and pay out shareholders,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026
What’s Next: More than 20 lawsuits are under way as courts decide whether event contracts that pay out when a team wins should be considered sports gambling subject to state regulation.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
“No—no—” called Wang Lung hastily, “I came to pay out, not to collect debt.”
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
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.
