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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Attorneys for the Justice Department argued that halting the reallocations could delay distributing the funds to other states DHS had identified as higher priority under its new approach.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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The project was originally inspired by a brochure, In Case of Emergency or War, which the Ukrainian Centre for Strategic Communication and Information Security began distributing to the public a few weeks before the invasion in early 2022.—
Joanna Warsza,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This all-in-one machine grinds and brews for maximum freshness, dispensing the perfect dose of caffeine each time.—
Christopher Murray
may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom.,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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Large leaf piles require several rounds of filling and dispensing the bags to process.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Our leadership's answer to being held accountable is to suppress everyone's voices by handing out fines.—
Trevor Squire,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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Black Girl Vitamins handing out scholarships to young people chasing careers in health.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mario Suarez-Maya, 47, from Mexico, was arrested following two prior DUI charges, three arrests for driving without a license, and an incident of providing a false name to law enforcement.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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The Master 4’s sensor remains unchanged, still providing smooth and accurate tracking on virtually any surface, with a maximum DPI of 8,000.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Unless Labour, the Greens, and Your Party come to an electoral understanding, their candidates will have to compete with one another, and with other parties, over every seat, dividing the left-leaning vote and potentially allowing Reform or the Conservatives to come out on top.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
4 Oct. 2025
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This industry has become exceptional at dividing us and pitting us against each other.—
Thomas Smith,
Billboard,
3 Oct. 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 6 Oct. 2025.
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