dole out

verb

doled out; doling out; doles out

transitive verb

1

: to give or deliver in small portions

2

: dish out

Synonyms

• administer
• allocate
• apportion
• deal (out)
• dispense
• distribute
• hand out
• mete (out)
• parcel (out)
• portion
• prorate

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

Surplus goodie bags were generously doled out to those looking to take extras back home. —Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024

Volunteers stood outside churches and stores, doling out free CDs to whoever would answer a short questionnaire. —Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024

Unlike other forms of assistance, the cash funds are transferred rapidly and doled out with no strings attached. —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 25 Oct. 2024

By adding more female characters and splitting up existing ones to dole out their roles in the narrative, the show stretches itself thin by giving them all little to do. —Isaiah Colbert, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1