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
Garrison was generous with his money, doling out a hundred dollars here and there to people in his life.
—
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
As her mother, Linda Emond's Susan gets only a few moments to shine — and milks every single one for all its worth, doling out wince-worthy advice rooted in real (if outdated) wisdom, as many mothers do.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal, along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.
—Mark Long, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2026
Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.
—Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
In addition, the chatbot will only be able to provide medication which consumers already have a prescription for, rather than doling out entirely new drugs to users.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2026
Hochul is declining to take part in the program, which is doling out funding in a statewide race for the first time.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Problem is, history will show that Grier was in over his head because of his lack of conviction on decisions, lackluster drafting and history of doling out bad contracts, while simultaneously letting some of the team’s better free agents walk.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
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
Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
As her mother, Linda Emond's Susan gets only a few moments to shine — and milks every single one for all its worth, doling out wince-worthy advice rooted in real (if outdated) wisdom, as many mothers do.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal, along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.
—Mark Long, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2026
Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.
—Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
In addition, the chatbot will only be able to provide medication which consumers already have a prescription for, rather than doling out entirely new drugs to users.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2026
Hochul is declining to take part in the program, which is doling out funding in a statewide race for the first time.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Problem is, history will show that Grier was in over his head because of his lack of conviction on decisions, lackluster drafting and history of doling out bad contracts, while simultaneously letting some of the team’s better free agents walk.
—Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doling out
Verb
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The joint-agency investigation led law enforcement to the 500 block of Sheridan Avenue, which led to the charging of five men with possessing and distributing drugs.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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Though Coca-Cola owns its formulas − just like its closest competitor, Pepsi − it's not known for distributing drinks.—
Mariah Franklin,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The trailer then came apart, dispensing much of the cargo of iced tea beverages on the road, as the truck bounced off the wall and across the other lane of traffic into and through the guardrail.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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In the Chicago area, Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes screens, tests and processes donated milk before dispensing it to hospitals.—
Alexander Crider,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The mayor and city officials unveiled a six-point plan that includes handing out free gun locks and other initiatives.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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At the pool, there's always someone walking around handing out glasses of ice-cold water.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While companies are recognizing the importance of unpaid care, providing some benefits, the weight of unpaid care will increase unless the labor supply is replenished, Nestler said.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
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The goal was to stimulate economic development and job creation in distressed areas around the country by providing tax incentives to investors who would back the projects.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ebus added that interest in Venezuela is already dividing potential investors, with smaller risk-taking firms eager to enter while major companies remain cautious.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
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Much of the play is dedicated to Asaf trying to figure out this conflict between his progressive views and his faith and sense of history, and also to airing the arguments about Israel that were dividing the left in the George Floyd era and continue to do so in 2026.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Newsom said the move to defer the funding and repay it at a later, unspecified point is necessary to create a cushion for uncertain state revenue projections and to avoid potentially allocating more money to schools than is actually available, since the budget isn’t finalized until the summer.—
Molly Gibbs,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
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Rather than cutting funding to other businesses to focus on AI, Jassy seems to be also allocating resources to the same businesses that AI threatens to disrupt.—
Sean Conlon,Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Doling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doling%20out. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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