as in distributed
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 doled out
Bessent told the outlet that if refunds are in order, they’d be doled out over time—weeks, months or even over a year—not right away.
—
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 13 Jan. 2026
Musk scored another huge windfall two weeks ago when the Delaware Supreme Court reversed a decision that deprived him of a $55 billion pay package that Tesla doled out in 2018.
—Paul Harloff, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
Another sticker is doled out for each touchdown a player completes, and particularly spectacular plays also warrant a decal.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 1 Jan. 2026
More than 8,800 city of San Diego retirees — a record number — recently got a controversial year-end retirement bonus that gets doled out when the investment portfolio of the city’s pension system has a strong year.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
Anything doled out in 2025 gets no deduction.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
By August, the CDC's center for HIV and tuberculosis prevention had doled out $167 million less than the historical average, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank focused on reducing inequality.
—Amy Maxmen, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
On the other side, billionaire Tom Steyer, who ran briefly for the Democratic POTUS nomination in 2020, doled out nearly $13 million for the measure.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Over the past decade, Antifa International’s defense fund has doled out over $250,000 to more than 800 antifascists from 26 different countries, according to a 10th anniversary post.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025
Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 13 Jan. 2026
Musk scored another huge windfall two weeks ago when the Delaware Supreme Court reversed a decision that deprived him of a $55 billion pay package that Tesla doled out in 2018.
—Paul Harloff, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2026
Another sticker is doled out for each touchdown a player completes, and particularly spectacular plays also warrant a decal.
—Nasha Smith, PEOPLE, 1 Jan. 2026
More than 8,800 city of San Diego retirees — a record number — recently got a controversial year-end retirement bonus that gets doled out when the investment portfolio of the city’s pension system has a strong year.
—David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
Anything doled out in 2025 gets no deduction.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
By August, the CDC's center for HIV and tuberculosis prevention had doled out $167 million less than the historical average, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank focused on reducing inequality.
—Amy Maxmen, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025
On the other side, billionaire Tom Steyer, who ran briefly for the Democratic POTUS nomination in 2020, doled out nearly $13 million for the measure.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Over the past decade, Antifa International’s defense fund has doled out over $250,000 to more than 800 antifascists from 26 different countries, according to a 10th anniversary post.
—Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doled out
Verb
-
Reza Pahlavi himself has distributed messages calling for defections among the armed forces, and coordinated protests through QR codes.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Standing 165 centimeters tall and weighing 71 kilograms, the GR-3 offers 55 degrees of freedom and is equipped with tactile sensors distributed across its body for responsive interaction.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Its blend is dispensed seamlessly from a dropper, onto one’s mane without weighing it down.—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Floats are fountain drinks dispensed over soft serve.—
Fielding Buck,
Oc Register,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The business also provided hobbyists with a place to talk about home brewing and meet other people with the same interest.—
Janice Phelan,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The spokesperson said information about how utilities are calculated is provided to residents.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Along the edges of the crowd, which stretched several blocks down the street, friends broke into smaller conversations while neighbors handed out free coffee and samosas.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
-
As Smyth handed out socks and bus flyers, Sue Marsh asked for an extra one to hand out to people in need.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s opposition is weak, divided, largely in exile.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
11 Jan. 2026
-
But our fragmented media landscape and the dominance of social media have left us polarized and divided.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Cortez Masto is proposing that $45 billion for ICE detention centers be allocated to Justice Assistant Grant programs and nearly $30 billion in enforcement money to the COPS law enforcement hiring program.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
14 Jan. 2026
-
For this school year, the state allocated $47 million to the program across both SUNY and CUNY campuses.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Doled out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doled%20out. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
