mete out

verb

meted out; meting out; metes out

: to give (something) to the people who one decides should get it : to give out or distribute (something)

We're trying to be fair in meting out rewards and punishments.

—usually used to refer to something unpleasant (such as punishment)

Huge fines were meted out as punishment.

The king meted out justice as he saw fit.

Examples of mete out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Catherine’s story line evokes a feverish what-if scenario in which a survivor musters the requisite recklessness, talent for murder, and wig collection to mete out retribution. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026

It’s presented with such grace as Koreeda, once again, metes out details about each character’s own familial backgrounds. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 30 July 2026

In that film’s story, Insiang (Hilda Koronel) metes out revenge against Dado (Ruel Vernal), her hateful mother’s lover, who rapes her after rejecting his advances. — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Any disciplinary measures are meted out by the Florida Supreme Court. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026

Rhymes for mete out

• roundabout
• runabout
• sauerkraut
• thereabout
• turnabout
• about
• bailout
• blackout
• blowout
• breakout
• burnout
• buyout