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
Some experts disagreed with that decision, saying that the punishment Israel meted out in the 2019 case was not adequate.
—
Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 8 May 2024
This steady slide towards tyranny, meted out by militarized local and federal police and legalistic bureaucrats, has been carried forward by each successive president over the past fifty years regardless of their political affiliation.
—Nisha Whitehead, Orange County Register, 7 May 2024
Americans now have access to a recreational intoxicant that is arguably no more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco without fear of the disproportionately severe punishments previously meted out to those apprehended for possession and use.
—Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, TIME, 3 May 2024
The fund—meted out through Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm—aims to make AI training more accessible across the globe, namely in underserved communities and those working in nonprofits or small businesses.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024
Often, the reprisals would be meted out on prisoners of war, who were near at hand and could easily be killed.
—Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
While investors were first promised their full allocation prior to launch, it would now be meted out in increments every Monday over a period of eight weeks.
—Joel Khalili, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
The sentence was also meted out Tuesday, according to the corps.
—Bill Feather, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024
For many young Russians, dreams of democracy died with Alexei Navalny
Orlov’s sentencing is the latest example of Russian authorities meting out harsher sentences to those who appeal their charges.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
Brett Murphy, ProPublica, 8 May 2024
This steady slide towards tyranny, meted out by militarized local and federal police and legalistic bureaucrats, has been carried forward by each successive president over the past fifty years regardless of their political affiliation.
—Nisha Whitehead, Orange County Register, 7 May 2024
Americans now have access to a recreational intoxicant that is arguably no more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco without fear of the disproportionately severe punishments previously meted out to those apprehended for possession and use.
—Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, TIME, 3 May 2024
The fund—meted out through Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm—aims to make AI training more accessible across the globe, namely in underserved communities and those working in nonprofits or small businesses.
—Jane Thier, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024
Often, the reprisals would be meted out on prisoners of war, who were near at hand and could easily be killed.
—Oona A. Hathaway, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
While investors were first promised their full allocation prior to launch, it would now be meted out in increments every Monday over a period of eight weeks.
—Joel Khalili, WIRED, 15 Apr. 2024
The sentence was also meted out Tuesday, according to the corps.
—Bill Feather, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2024
For many young Russians, dreams of democracy died with Alexei Navalny
Orlov’s sentencing is the latest example of Russian authorities meting out harsher sentences to those who appeal their charges.
—Francesca Ebel, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
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 17 May. 2024.
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