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
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The Primetime Emmy Awards will be doled out at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Sept. 14.—Chris Foran, jsonline.com, 15 July 2025 However, peaches are high in sugar, so only dole out the peaches in small doses.—Kelsey Monstrola, USA Today, 12 July 2025 In addition, the studio must pay a percentage of the box office sales to theater owners for exhibiting the movie, plus dole out residuals and other expenses related to the film.—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025 The Pistols never rose out of the clubs during their original incarnation and lived off near-starvation wages doled out to them every week by McLaren.—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 12 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for dole out
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