OUTLAYS Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

outlays 1 of 2

noun

plural of outlay

as in expenses

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

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outlays

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of outlay

as in spends

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 outlays

Noun

The 2026 fiscal year saw record sums for both receipts and outlays, according to a Treasury Department official. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 By comparison, total spending jumped 102% in that span, with outlays on social security and employment up 207%, science and technology up 137%, and defense up 141%. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026 This time, France's large pension outlays and its need to rein in public spending leave little room for maneuver. — Makini Brice, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026 Russia ramped up its military outlays, putting it on track to spend a record $200 billion on defense in 2026 with little sign of the Ukraine war coming to an end. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026 The district plans to spend $216 million on capital outlays, up from $132 million, including the ongoing Unite U-46 construction projects and the purchase of new buses. — Mike Danahey, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026 The Lawrence deal changed the Bengals’ math this offseason, and de facto general manager Duke Tobin spoke before training camp about the future outlays and challenges in completing those deals. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Federal funding outlays followed, including nearly $114 million awarded for initial construction components. — Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026 In the first 10 months of the 2026 fiscal year, interest costs have eclipsed Medicare healthcare outlays to become the second-largest line item in the federal budget, behind the Social Security pension system. — Reuters, NBC news, 19 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for outlays

Noun

Koppie reported raising exactly enough to cover his campaign’s expenses of less than $3,000 from July through September, most of it out of his own pocket.

— Olivia Olander, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
The analysis did not separately calculate the administrator’s share of those expenses.

— Natalie Jones, Baltimore Sun, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of expenses

Verb

That hasn’t changed much on Heavy Is the Crown, especially since Cordae spends a chunk of this otherwise fleet and playful album lagging behind his sparring partner.

— Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2026
Much of what corporate America spends on AI today funds exploratory pilots, a far cry from commercial deployments that generate measurable productivity gains.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of spends

Noun

The elective program involves reimbursements of certain development costs, as well as code relief for projects that meet certain eligibility standards, said senior planner Ben Rhoads.

— Marc Hayot, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
The Post measured affordability by comparing what a basic family budget costs in each county with what households there earn.

— Amy L. Wong, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of costs

Verb

And the city is backing a ballot initiative of its own, Measure AT, which would eliminate a $15-million cap on the 10% admission tax on ticket sales the stadium pays.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
That’s, like, half of what Heather pays for house slippers — that is a single designer slipper.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of pays

Noun

According to the district’s chief business officer Gerardo Castillo, Sac City Unified’s initial report included only its 2025-26 expenditures and left out spending from 2024-25.

— Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
However, skeptics are getting more vocal in their concerns that returns on AI investment won't justify the capital expenditures.

— Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of expenditures

Browse Nearby Words

outlaying

outlays

outlet

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Style

“Outlays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outlays. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of outlays

noun

verb

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