as in distributing
to give out (something) to appropriate individuals
no system yet in place for handing out room assignments
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Recent Examples of handing out
The mayor and city officials unveiled a six-point plan that includes handing out free gun locks and other initiatives.
—
CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
At the pool, there's always someone walking around handing out glasses of ice-cold water.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
And Sterling is handing out buckets.
—Kristen Bell, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
As party members slowly trickled into the building Saturday morning, campaign volunteers wandered, handing out bags with posters for Marx or walking in slow arcs with signs for fellow chief executive hopeful Robert Moore.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
After handing out replica statues to the first 40,000 fans who went through the turnstiles Friday, the Mariners posted a photo on X of the giveaway — now with a broken bat.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2026
Mayor Wu, who plans to file her warm-weather plan for Mass and Cass with the City Council next week, would not confirm that her administration’s shift in strategy is a move away from harm reduction, which critics say incentivizes drug use by handing out needles and other paraphernalia.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
Defending champion Rory McIlroy has been at the club all weekend, watching the Augusta National Women's Amateur on Saturday and handing out trophies to a group of boys in the annual Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals on Sunday.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Brunson was truly great the night Tatum got hurt, scoring 39 and handing out 12 assists.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
At the pool, there's always someone walking around handing out glasses of ice-cold water.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026
And Sterling is handing out buckets.
—Kristen Bell, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
As party members slowly trickled into the building Saturday morning, campaign volunteers wandered, handing out bags with posters for Marx or walking in slow arcs with signs for fellow chief executive hopeful Robert Moore.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
After handing out replica statues to the first 40,000 fans who went through the turnstiles Friday, the Mariners posted a photo on X of the giveaway — now with a broken bat.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2026
Mayor Wu, who plans to file her warm-weather plan for Mass and Cass with the City Council next week, would not confirm that her administration’s shift in strategy is a move away from harm reduction, which critics say incentivizes drug use by handing out needles and other paraphernalia.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
Defending champion Rory McIlroy has been at the club all weekend, watching the Augusta National Women's Amateur on Saturday and handing out trophies to a group of boys in the annual Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals on Sunday.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Brunson was truly great the night Tatum got hurt, scoring 39 and handing out 12 assists.
—Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing 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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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
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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
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
“Handing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20out. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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