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

Ignoring any other benefits, the value of saving those 223 lives was worth $3 billion, almost three times the amount the Active Transportation Program doled out to save them. —Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026

There was a single café doling out bitter robusta brews and a small store dealing in pickled chicken feet and cans of off-brand Pringles. —Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026

Which means that after a memorable monologue from returning host Conan O'Brien, the Academy Award trophies will be doled out amongst the nominees, one by one. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026

There will be an Italian gelato machine whipping up fresh ice cream, a station spraying 24-karat gold onto miniature chocolate Oscars, and a live izakaya doling out traditional Japanese bites, as reported by Reuters. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 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