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 money for treatment beds will be funneled through an existing state program that has doled out $1.8 million to help build facilities for mental health and substance use treatment since its launch in 2021. —Calmatters, Mercury News, 12 June 2025

Trump has already doled out numerous pardons to others convicted of serious crimes. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025

The president has also been unpredictable in doling out clemency, largely avoiding the formal process of going through the Office of the U.S. Pardon Attorney. —Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2025

The punishments Amazon will dole out include outright bans and deleting past reviews. —Michael Barclay, Quartz, 6 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dole out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout