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

Problem is, history will show that Grier was in over his head because of his lack of conviction on decisions, lackluster drafting and history of doling out bad contracts, while simultaneously letting some of the team’s better free agents walk. —Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026

As city leaders doled out contracts to Washington, emails detailing allegations against the nonprofit leader followed, according to the emails and two sources who spoke with The Star. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Mar. 2026

The committee, which includes Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks, still looks to dole out significant penalties for schools found to have added players to their rosters who didn’t provide notification of their transfer intentions within the portal window dates. —Mike Griffith, AJC.com, 23 Mar. 2026

From March 25 to 31, the retailer will be doling out discounts on a massive number of products, including laptop and desktop PCs. —K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 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