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

Heading into the final weekend of the primary, the two gubernatorial frontrunners remain the biggest recipients of the state’s matching fund program that has doled out $3 million so far this election cycle. — Jim Turner, Miami Herald, 18 Aug. 2026

While some of those are doled out based on formulas such as population and crime rates, another bucket of them are competitively awarded. — Sarah N. Lynch, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Chinese funds are also doled out on an ad hoc basis with little transparency. — Eghosa E. Osaghae, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026

The billionaire philanthropist, novelist, and ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has doled out more than $26 billion to charity during the past few years, but has done so without much fanfare. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 10 Aug. 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