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
That was the heaviest penalty ever meted out under the national security law.
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Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
Consumption, too, could be weaponized to express allegiance or mete out punishment.
—Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
The parking spaces and wine cellars are also meted out sparingly, according to brokers, with preference going to the buyers of the larger units.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 27 Jan. 2026
Attacks by the infected are few and far between, and most of the violence on display is meted out by the Jimmys.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mete out
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Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
Consumption, too, could be weaponized to express allegiance or mete out punishment.
—Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
The parking spaces and wine cellars are also meted out sparingly, according to brokers, with preference going to the buyers of the larger units.
—Kim Velsey, Curbed, 27 Jan. 2026
Attacks by the infected are few and far between, and most of the violence on display is meted out by the Jimmys.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 16 Jan. 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 18 Feb. 2026.
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