dole out

verb

doled out; doling out; doles out

transitive verb

1

: to give or deliver in small portions

2

: dish out

Synonyms of dole out

• distribute
• dispense
• provide
• deal (out)
• hand out
• allocate
• divide

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

Top Democratic members of the Appropriations Committees, who dole out federal funds, also took issue with the ads. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026

While the demand for aid has grown steadily in recent years, demand for the federal Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program funds that the state doles out via the CEAP program has not. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026

Likewise, the federal government has continued to dole out money to help the private train system. — Joshua Ceballos, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026

Meanwhile, as of June, the cryptocurrency industry had doled out $189 million to influence the 2026 midterms, which is outpacing its contributions in the previous election cycle, shows a study by Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group. — Laura Washington, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026

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