pay out

verb pays out · paying out · paid out · payed out

1. To distribute money; to disburse. Since 2016, the bank has reviewed 165 million accounts, contacted more than 40 million customers and payed out millions in compensation, Sloan said in his opening statement submitted to the House Financial Services Committee on Monday.
2. transitive To slacken a rope by lengthening it; to allow a rope to run out.
3. intransitive, of a rope To slacken by lengthening. If a fisherman gets his foot ensnared in a rope that is rapidly paying out, he will be dragged over and drowned almost before anyone realizes he is overboard.
4. To repay, take revenge. The pigeon, very offended, flew back to the Bird Woman and, to pay out Mary Poppins, stuck the rose in the ribbon of the Bird Woman's hat.
5. To give someone their just desserts.
6. Australia, informal, transitive To make fun of or insult, often in a teasing manner. Last weekend, Robin accidentally tried to interview someone after having one too many wines and of course, we paid her out for it.