dole out

verb

doled out; doling out; doles out

transitive verb

1
: to give or deliver in small portions
2
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

Recent Examples on the Web Most of the money came from individual donors, and close to $630,000 was doled out to candidates across the country who were in competitive races, according to Porter senior advisor Nathan Click. Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 The company has doled out $1 billion in wage increases for pharmacists between 2021 and 2024 and roughly $70 million in bonuses. Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 29 Feb. 2024 The rest are to be doled out based on separate conventions also happening that day based on a vote by GOP representatives from each of the state's 13 congressional districts. Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2024 Half a million dollars per year that had been doled out mostly to library branches in wealthy neighborhoods has been re-routed to the branches in low-income areas that get the most use by the public. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2024 Others, like Texas (the state with the second-most delegates on Super Tuesday), dole out statewide and congressional delegates separately. Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 15 Feb. 2024 Today, Harmon-Marshall doles out travel tips via his Gate Access newsletter. Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 24 Feb. 2024 Those Republicans claimed the child tax credit would have been doled out to undocumented immigrants. Ken Tran, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 The $6 million in county funds — $1 million per month — that have already been doled out to support arriving migrants and operate the center ran out earlier than anticipated. Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dole out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dole out was in 1749

Dictionary Entries Near dole out

Cite this Entry

“Dole out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dole%20out. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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