shelled out
Coughed up cash
Shelled out is the past tense of shell out, meaning to pay money, usually reluctantly or in larger amounts than expected: I shelled out fifty bucks for parking alone.
The image is of removing something from a protective covering—like shelling peas or nuts—suggesting money being extracted from where it was safely kept.
- disbursedPaid out officially
- put upErect or accommodate
- blewMoved air forcefully
- paidGave money owed
- compensatedPaid for service rendered
expended · ponied up · remitted · coughed up · spent · forked over · parted with · invested · chipped in · transferred · donated · anted up · contributed · purchased · footed the bill · paid the piper · splurged · allocated