mete out
phrasal verb
meted out; meting out; metes out
: to give (something) to the people who one decides should get it : to give out or distribute (something)
We're trying to be fair in meting out rewards and punishments.
—usually used to refer to something unpleasant (such as punishment)Huge fines were meted out as punishment.
The king meted out justice as he saw fit.
Examples of mete out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Now, a similar fate is being meted out to a new generation of players like Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Taylor Fritz, Andrey Rublev and many others.
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Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Critics have said the law was already largely toothless, and officials in the first Trump administration were routinely accused of violating it, with little punishment meted out.
—Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Therapists say many commercial plans require prior authorization and mete out approvals parsimoniously.
—Jordan Rau, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2025
The school essentially was feckless not meting out appropriate discipline and subsequent lack of backing to the teacher.
—Martin Potters, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mete out
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Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Critics have said the law was already largely toothless, and officials in the first Trump administration were routinely accused of violating it, with little punishment meted out.
—Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Therapists say many commercial plans require prior authorization and mete out approvals parsimoniously.
—Jordan Rau, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2025
The school essentially was feckless not meting out appropriate discipline and subsequent lack of backing to the teacher.
—Martin Potters, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mete out
Cite this Entry
“Mete out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mete%20out. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
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