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

The sudden departure of the Republican women presents a potential power issue because the Senate doles out clout and responsibility to the majority party based on seniority. —Jeffrey Collins, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 July 2024

Elections What to know about the key policies that got airtime in the presidential debate Biden wasn’t able to use that to his advantage at all, even as Trump doled out falsehood after falsehood. —Domenico Montanaro, NPR, 28 June 2024

As with most of his roles, Cobbs’ time on screen is brief, but the impact of his presence is made clear in the film’s final moments, as his character doles out the justice not served by the legal system. —Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 27 June 2024

Without a central planner dictating prices or doling out jobs, markets process information produced by the huge variety of voluntary transactions made across the entire economy. —Oshan Jarow, Vox, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1