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

Several states, including California, quickly began to dole out benefits. —Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025

According to a Monday morning social media post, the president seems to think there would be enough money left after tariff rebate checks are doled out to help pay down the nation’s nearly $40 trillion in debt. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025

Starbucks is already doling out holiday cups; stores have skipped over Thanksgiving and are selling Christmas decor; and TV stations are gearing up for the midnight countdown celebrations on New Year's Eve. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025

Over about five hours and many, many more glasses of wine, the nine awards were doled out to wine producers from around the world. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Nov. 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