mete out
phrasal 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
Khamanei’s rule was marked by mismanagement, and ultimately ended with one of the more brutal episodes of his trademark repression – the violence his regime meted out to keep power.
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Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
His punishment was meted out in December, with the summary posted on the NYPD website last week.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
That was the heaviest penalty ever meted out under the national security law.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
Consumption, too, could be weaponized to express allegiance or mete out punishment.
—Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mete out
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Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
His punishment was meted out in December, with the summary posted on the NYPD website last week.
—Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
That was the heaviest penalty ever meted out under the national security law.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
Consumption, too, could be weaponized to express allegiance or mete out punishment.
—Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mete out
Cite this Entry
“Mete out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mete%20out. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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