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
Vigilantes doling out justice in Hell’s Kitchen, steamy romances in the English countryside, and cowboys just trying to hang onto the ranch – again.
—
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Midwest states also enjoy doling out tax breaks to lure data centers, which offer meaningful construction trades jobs.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Since Lover, Swift has come and gone with relative ease, doling out generous portions of concerts and documentaries and behind-the-scenes looks and then going away for months at a time.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Harsha added that the CRA is concerned the agency will or has already begun front-loading its grant funding to catch up on spending, doling out the full amount of a grant instead of distributing it over the course of a number of years.
—Fiona Bork, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2026
Govan basked in the limelight nearby, shaking hands and doling out hugs and back pats.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
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few moments to shine — and milks every single one for all its worth, doling out wince-worthy advice rooted in real (if outdated) wisdom, as many mothers do.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
Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
Midwest states also enjoy doling out tax breaks to lure data centers, which offer meaningful construction trades jobs.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Since Lover, Swift has come and gone with relative ease, doling out generous portions of concerts and documentaries and behind-the-scenes looks and then going away for months at a time.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Harsha added that the CRA is concerned the agency will or has already begun front-loading its grant funding to catch up on spending, doling out the full amount of a grant instead of distributing it over the course of a number of years.
—Fiona Bork, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2026
Govan basked in the limelight nearby, shaking hands and doling out hugs and back pats.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doling out
Verb
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Ebola response interventions include installing handwashing units in health facilities, schools and critical transit sites and distributing thermometers, chlorine and other supplies to treat water.—
Maryanne Murray Buechner,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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One of the two doctors who pleaded guilty to distributing the ketamine to Perry, Salvador Plasencia, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.—
Chelsea Hylton,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Verb
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The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals responded a few days later by ruling the FDA erred by relaxing its regulations to allow for dispensing the pills by mail.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
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But the appeals court blocked that ruling and said the in-person dispensing requirement should return while Louisiana appeals the judge’s decision.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In turn, the AI uses the most common denominator in making real-world diagnoses and handing out therapeutic recommendations.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
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Taco Bell would spend six months running promos and handing out special Qui-Gon Jinn cups.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Verb
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Ulrich said the cemetery is one of few nationally that has a memorial squad solely dedicated to providing full military honors.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
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Stenergard highlighted Russia’s precarious condition to argue for tighter sanctions on its energy sector, namely a ban on providing maritime services, such as insurance, access to ports, and financing.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
24 May 2026
Verb
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The encounter, captured on video, quickly gained international attention, dividing those who believed the zoo was in the right to kill Harambe for the child's safety, and others who found the act inhumane.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
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By 1997, Ultimate Fighting began to join more conventional combat sports in dividing fighters into weight classes, for safety’s sake.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Verb
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McKinnon said Okta is allocating more resources to tools like Okta for AI agents and Net-zero for AI agents as companies adopt agentic AI and demand more security defenses.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
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The objective of the Midas List is to identify the investors demonstrating the strongest judgment in allocating that capital.—
TrueBridge Capital,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Doling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doling%20out. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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