Synonyms of dole out

dole out

verb

as in to distribute

to give out (something) to appropriate individuals

she doles out office supplies as if she were paying for them out of her own pocket

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distribute
• dispense
• provide
• deal (out)
• hand out
• allocate
• divide
• portion
• supply
• administer
• parcel (out)
• mete (out)
• donate
• assign
• prorate
• share (out)
• apportion
• measure (out)
• share
• furnish
• contribute
• issue
• split
• proportion
• spread
• lot
• dish out
• allot
• admeasure
• appropriate
• redistribute
• circulate
• divvy (up)
• disseminate
• set
• part
• ration
• disburse
• chip in
• allow
• bestow
• dollop (out)
• pledge
• scatter
• disperse
• reallocate
• reapportion

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• deprive (of)
• deny
• refuse
• reject
• withhold
• decline
• disallow
• misallocate
• begrudge
• stint
• pinch
• skimp
• niggle (out)

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb dole out differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dole out are deal, dispense, distribute, and divide. While all these words mean "to give out, usually in shares, to each member of a group," dole out implies a carefully measured portion of something that is often in short supply.

doled out what little food there was

When is deal a more appropriate choice than dole out?

The words deal and dole out are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deal emphasizes the allotment of something piece by piece.

deal out equipment and supplies

When might dispense be a better fit than dole out?

The words dispense and dole out can be used in similar contexts, 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

Where would distribute be a reasonable alternative to dole out?

While in some cases nearly identical to dole out, distribute implies an apportioning by separation of something into parts, units, or amounts.

distributed food to the needy

When would divide be a good substitute for dole out?

Although the words divide and dole out have much in common, divide stresses the separation of a whole into parts and implies that the parts are equal.

three charitable groups divided the proceeds

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dole out

Many Americans know the department mostly for its role doling out grants and loans for college, and those streams of funding are by far the agency's largest. —ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026

As of March 3, the agency had doled out 74% fewer competitive, or new, awards than the average for the same period in the 2021-2024 fiscal years, according to an analysis by researchers at Johns Hopkins. —Anil Oza, STAT, 17 Mar. 2026

Ignoring any other benefits, the value of saving those 223 lives was worth $3 billion, almost three times the amount the Active Transportation Program doled out to save them. —Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 16 Mar. 2026

There was a single café doling out bitter robusta brews and a small store dealing in pickled chicken feet and cans of off-brand Pringles. —Chris Schalkx, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Mar. 2026