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

Nike Air Force 1 Low will only be doled out in limited numbers at Travis Scott’s discretion. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2026

Now expertise and service are doled out in exchange for relative value units. — Stephen Doran, STAT, 5 Nov. 2026

The pair have developed a system of bonusing employees for success on a year-round basis, rather than doling out bonus coin once a year, with staffers receiving little information as to how the spoils were divided. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Nov. 2026

Most of that money would be set aside for building and renovating low-income housing — likely doled out to local governments and private developers as low-cost loans. — Audrey McGlinchy, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 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