dole out

verb

doled out; doling out; doles out
Synonyms of dole outnext

transitive verb

1
: to give or deliver in small portions
2
: dish out

Synonyms

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Choose the Right Synonym for dole out

distribute, dispense, divide, deal, dole out mean to give out, usually in shares, to each member of a group.

distribute implies an apportioning by separation of something into parts, units, or amounts.

distributed food to the needy

dispense suggests the giving of a carefully weighed or measured portion to each of a group according to due or need.

dispensed wisdom to the students

divide stresses the separation of a whole into parts and implies that the parts are equal.

three charitable groups divided the proceeds

deal emphasizes the allotment of something piece by piece.

deal out equipment and supplies

dole out implies a carefully measured portion of something that is often in short supply.

doled out what little food there was

Examples of dole out in a Sentence

she doles out office supplies as if she were paying for them out of her own pocket
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
It’s been barely three years since Kate Mara and Jamie Bell doled out $4.8 million for a Los Angeles home in the leafy foothills of Los Feliz, and the Hollywood couple has already decided to hand over the keys to their stately Southern Colonial-style digs, asking a speck under $5 million. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2025 Beyond the perks are real benefits: Granite commits to almost exclusively promoting employees from within and gives managers a pool of money to dole out as promotions and raises. — Luisa Kroll, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 If the physical action is doled out in parsimonious bites, the verbal action is an extravagant feast of double helpings. — Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2025 That number may be an inflated estimate of DOGE's overall cuts, and doling out checks would undercut its stated goal of reducing the government deficit. — arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dole out

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dole out was in 1749

Rhymes for dole out

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Browse Nearby Words

dole out
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Cite this Entry

“Dole out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dole%20out. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of dole out for Spanish Speakers

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