dole out

verb

doled out; doling out; doles out

transitive verb

1

: to give or deliver in small portions

2

: dish out

Synonyms

• 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

The series peeks behind the plastic countertops at the people doling out driver's licenses and car registrations, finding humor in driving tests, angry patrons and office politics. —Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025

Roughly one-third of cities’ revenue comes from federal grants to states that are then doled out to cities. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025

This isn’t just a quirky uncle at Thanksgiving doling out wacky advice. —Flavia Mangan Colgan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2025

The question of who is going to shell out, besides the usual suspects like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which have doled out soft loans in the past, also looms large when the government is still stabilizing its economy amid a challenging global landscape. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 7 Oct. 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