as in distributing
to give out (something) to appropriate individuals
she doles out office supplies as if she were paying for them out of her own pocket
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Recent Examples of doling out
Even before she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska (2002), the 95-year-old actor had been a go-to Everygrandma, doling out enough geriatric sass to make the Golden Girls bow down yet doing so in the most polite, Midwestern way imaginable.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Consider the absurdity of carving a single oozing arancini into three or four pieces, doling out two measly salad leaves each to a foursome, or hacking a pristine fish fillet into chum for five.
—Maggie Hennessy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025
The pop-up will include fun and immersive elements such as a gumball machine doling out prizes.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
Mariah Carey, will be honored with the ceremonies' Video Vanguard Award, while the presenter list is equally glamorous, with Ciara, Drew Barrymore, Ashlee Simpson and Jessica Simpson, and many more doling out awards throughout the night.
—Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
The Sanseito party tapped into these frustrations on the campaign trail – doling out rhetoric that some critics called inflammatory and xenophobic.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
Sure, Outlander or Blood of My Blood could pull some twisty time-travel shenanigans and make this happen, but this universe isn’t exactly known for doling out neat and tidy happily ever afters.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Those are just some of the bribes Manhattan prosecutors allege Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Mayor Adams’ longtime political confidante, pocketed over a years-long period in exchange for doling out government favors to her benefactors, like city contracts and expedited building permits.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
Federal guidelines for doling out water based on Lake Mead’s diminished current storage this year placed the river in what is known as a Tier 1 shortage, meaning Arizona is giving up about 30% of the Central Arizona Project’s normal supply, which equals 18% of the state’s share of the Colorado.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 11 Aug. 2025
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Consider the absurdity of carving a single oozing arancini into three or four pieces, doling out two measly salad leaves each to a foursome, or hacking a pristine fish fillet into chum for five.
—Maggie Hennessy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025
The pop-up will include fun and immersive elements such as a gumball machine doling out prizes.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2025
Mariah Carey, will be honored with the ceremonies' Video Vanguard Award, while the presenter list is equally glamorous, with Ciara, Drew Barrymore, Ashlee Simpson and Jessica Simpson, and many more doling out awards throughout the night.
—Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
The Sanseito party tapped into these frustrations on the campaign trail – doling out rhetoric that some critics called inflammatory and xenophobic.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
Sure, Outlander or Blood of My Blood could pull some twisty time-travel shenanigans and make this happen, but this universe isn’t exactly known for doling out neat and tidy happily ever afters.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
Those are just some of the bribes Manhattan prosecutors allege Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Mayor Adams’ longtime political confidante, pocketed over a years-long period in exchange for doling out government favors to her benefactors, like city contracts and expedited building permits.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2025
Federal guidelines for doling out water based on Lake Mead’s diminished current storage this year placed the river in what is known as a Tier 1 shortage, meaning Arizona is giving up about 30% of the Central Arizona Project’s normal supply, which equals 18% of the state’s share of the Colorado.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doling out
Verb
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But Warner Brothers, which is distributing the film, didn’t provide the local cast and crew list in time.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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Large transformers essential for distributing power into the electrical grid from generating plants are a third part of the supply chain relies on overseas suppliers.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then hit the autofill button, and the nozzle lowers down to just over the rim of the glass and starts dispensing.—
PCMag Staff,
PC Magazine,
5 Sep. 2025
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From interactive games to snuffle mats and treat-dispensing toys, there are plenty of puzzles out there on the market.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While in Houston, organizers had partnered with Planned Parenthood to set up a booth on the venue grounds with reps handing out condoms.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Sep. 2025
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The 2027 cap-space landscape will shift across the NBA as teams begin handing out extensions, making trades and signing free agents next summer.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The five-phase proposal outlined a gradual approach to providing the information while keeping within state and federal privacy laws.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
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Harris left her political future up in the air, providing vague details about her plans going forward.—
Sydney Topf,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Experts say the median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market than the average list price, which would mean taking the sum of all listing prices then dividing by the number of homes sold.—
USA TODAY Network,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Sep. 2025
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This amount is expressed by dividing the share price by the company’s earnings per share to get the price-to-earnings ratio.—
Ryan Ermey,
CNBC,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The commission would oversee allocating the money to schools and teachers at any city school that complies with requirements for doing the training well.—
Alan J. Borsuk,
jsonline.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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The law, passed in the state Legislature this year, allows families to apply for subsidies to attend private school, allocating up to $50 million a year for those tax credits.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Doling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doling%20out. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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