outlay 1 of 2

noun

ˈau̇t-ˌlā How to pronounce outlay (audio)
Definition of outlaynext
as in expense
a payment made in the course of achieving a result the outlays for the couple's upcoming wedding seem to be multiplying at an incredible rate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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outlay

2 of 2

verb

ˈau̇t-ˌlā How to pronounce outlay (audio)
as in to spend
to hand over or use up in payment the nation had outlaid nearly 20 billion dollars on social programs at that point

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of outlay
Noun
The report said the capital outlay needed to meet total data center demand by 2030 will be nearly $7 trillion. — Diana Olick, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026 Then there's Tottenham, which isn't getting much return on its incredible $400 million outlay on new players in the summer transfer window. — ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
Verb
Microsoft plans to outlay $4 billion in the next five years worldwide. — Paresh Dave, Wired News, 24 Dec. 2025 Vasquez then asked if the RDA had outlaid any money for LaPorte County for shoreline development. — Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for outlay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlay
  1. expense
  2. spend
  3. cost
  4. pay
  5. expenditure
Noun
  • The area might feel a bit buttoned-up and corporate for vacationers, but those in Abu Dhabi for work will be within a stone's throw of some of the city's best power-lunch and expense-account-dinner establishments.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • For example, an advance provisioning allowance is a deposit used to pay variable expenses, including fuel, food, drinks and marina fees, with any unused balance returned.
    — Christoph Lymbersky, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of expense
Verb
  • Hochul's announcement came shortly after dozens of students and community members spent hours demanding transparency and accountability from university leaders at a forum sponsored by Cornell's student government.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Earlier this year, César Alvarez spent far too much of their play The Potluck having their onstage avatar wiggle around on the hook of writing The Potluck.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of spend
Noun
  • Tiisetso’s view For half a century, the cost of African borrowing has been set largely in New York by three firms that rate the 55 countries from a distance.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • That operational slowdown would subsequently reduce gasoline output and drive total domestic energy costs higher.
    — , CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of cost
Verb
  • In that government post paying almost $70,000 a year, Jamal acted as a liaison with the Somali community.
    — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Last month, Democracy Docket surpassed 500,000 free email subscribers, the company first told Semafor, including 70,000 subscribers paying $10 a month or $120 per year.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pay
Noun
  • Both campaigns are also getting crucial assists in targeting Latino voters from independent expenditure groups, which aren’t bound by the same contribution limits as campaigns are.
    — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Odds for a hike in October also fell in the middle of this week after the release of the personal consumption expenditures price index, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, on Wednesday showed cooler-than-expected prices.
    — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of expenditure

Browse Nearby Words

outlaws
outlay
outlaying
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Cite this Entry

“Outlay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlay. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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