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

With so many characters to focus on, the story easily doles out tantalizing hints to keep viewers watching. —Joan MacDonald, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

After expenses, including $98.5 million in prize money doled out, the women’s golf league finished 2023 a little over $5.6 million in the black, after ending 2022 with a $7.68 million surplus. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 7 Dec. 2024

In November, Ford Motor Co. received a $165 million civil penalty from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stemming from a 2021 recall investigation, the second largest civil penalty ever doled out by NHTSA. —Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 3 Dec. 2024

The coalition, which allocates community benefit money promised as part of the Baltimore Peninsula development deal, doled out a $190,000 grant to fund the purchase and operation of the 15-seat, handicap-accessible shuttle. —Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1