distribute

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb distribute differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of distribute are deal, dispense, divide, and dole out. While all these words 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

When can deal be used instead of distribute?

While the synonyms deal and distribute are close in meaning, deal emphasizes the allotment of something piece by piece.

deal out equipment and supplies

In what contexts can dispense take the place of distribute?

The synonyms dispense and distribute are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

When is divide a more appropriate choice than distribute?

In some situations, the words divide and distribute are roughly equivalent. However, divide stresses the separation of a whole into parts and implies that the parts are equal.

three charitable groups divided the proceeds

When could dole out be used to replace distribute?

While in some cases nearly identical to distribute, dole out implies a carefully measured portion of something that is often in short supply.

doled out what little food there was

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of distribute So far this fiscal year, the department has distributed over $120 billion in compensation and pension benefits to veterans and their families. Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025 After payments are made for direct losses, the remaining funds will be distributed to customers whose personal information was accessed. James Powel, USA Today, 25 June 2025 Trafalgar Releasing has a long history of distributing BTS content, including record-breaking concert films and live event broadcasts. Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 24 June 2025 The hammerhead worm, a ground-dwelling flatworm, is lethal to earthworms, which are responsible for distributing oxygen, draining water and creating space for plant roots. Greta Cross, USA Today, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for distribute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distribute
Verb
  • This component classifies requests and forwards to the WAF just the ones needing inspection, such as dynamic content requests, and offloads the WAF by caching responses.
    Alexander Krizhanovsky, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • The shooting now classified as a-homicide was the third killing reported during a violent weekend in Kansas City, as temperatures soared above 90 degrees across the region.
    Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • For a three-year period, through the next fiscal year, California has been allotted funding worth more than $18.2 million, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2025
  • Differing budget plans passed by the state House and Senate this year both would start allotting sports betting tax revenue to the athletic programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.
    David A. Lieb, Twin Cities, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • Gi-hun’s Kill Count Plenty of players are content to dispense with societal decorum and start fully murdering each other in the Games — but not Gi-hun.
    Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 18 June 2025
  • Now, Israel may be happy to dispense with its Patriots without acknowledgment.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
Verb
  • The Stallions finished 18-3 and ranked No. 2 in the nation after their 6-5 loss to rival Lake Highland Prep.
    Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2025
  • In May 2024, the largest solar flare since 2017 was detected, ranking at an X-8.7 magnitude.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • The Mountain West Conference hired Willkie Farr & Gallagher to lead the investigation, and Heaphy was assigned to lead it.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
  • Consider a few sample tasks assigned to the storage administrator today.
    Nick Burling, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • Certainly this is true of telecommunications companies, as well as those providing utilities such as water and electricity.
    Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 19 June 2025
  • The federal law, known as EMTALA, requires that emergency rooms provide care to anyone who arrives at that door, regardless of their ability to pay or any other extenuating circumstances.
    Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • Lawyers are expected to distinguish between sound arguments and narcissistic wordplay.
    Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2025
  • Savvy operators are beginning to distinguish between short-term curiosity spend and deeper, more sustainable value.
    Vlad Panin, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • Boston Consulting Group found that leading companies are allocating a large portion of their AI investments to reshaping core functions and inventing new offerings.
    Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • For comparison, gold accounted for only 19% of total reserves, with 15% allocated in euros and 2% in Chinese renminbi.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Distribute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distribute. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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