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
Advertisement In addition to concentrating more power in the chief’s hands, the proposal advanced by the council would do away with the option for officers to have their disciplinary cases reviewed exclusively by civilians, who tend to be lenient in meting out punishments.
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Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024
The authority of teachers like me is routinely challenged by pupils and their parents, who are all too willing to contest punishments meted out to their children, knowing the cards are stacked in their favour.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 5 May 2024
These projects often contain a few intimate disclosures, carefully meted out.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024
There has been little consistency at universities over how punishments are meted out and how long that process takes.
—Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for mete out 
Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2024
The authority of teachers like me is routinely challenged by pupils and their parents, who are all too willing to contest punishments meted out to their children, knowing the cards are stacked in their favour.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 5 May 2024
These projects often contain a few intimate disclosures, carefully meted out.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2024
There has been little consistency at universities over how punishments are meted out and how long that process takes.
—Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times, 4 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for mete out
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mete out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near mete out
Cite this Entry
“Mete out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mete%20out. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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