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 Heart Party Favors or Milk Chocolate Heart Candy Canes are ideal for handing out to your child’s class or party favors for your Galentine’s get-together, while the 10-ounce bags are perfect for baking or filling a candy bowl at home or the office.
—
Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
Both are on a mission, handing out flyers for Luis’ missing daughter, Mar, swallowed by the seemingly endless nomadic rave culture.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Joyce and Vecna’s high school days are also briefly depicted in season 5 of Stranger Things, when Max (Sadie Sink) and Holly (Nell Fisher) wade through Henry’s memories and spot Joyce handing out flyers for the school's theater production of Oklahoma.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
The Baltimore County Fire Department was in the neighborhood Wednesday handing out information and checking in with neighbors.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
In December, Fullerton police surprised unsuspecting drivers by handing out gift cards instead of citations during some traffic stops.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 7 Jan. 2026
Adonis began handing out the hearts to people in his community.
—Kendall Malinchock, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Gray spotted a young woman handing out samples of meat and cheese stuffed into tiny plastic cups.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
Zion Norwood and Wilmer Almendarez, both 16 and students at Western International High School, sat in camp chairs, handing out leaflets supporting Sheffield’s rival, Solomon Kinloch Jr.
—Tanya Wildt, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 7 Jan. 2026
Both are on a mission, handing out flyers for Luis’ missing daughter, Mar, swallowed by the seemingly endless nomadic rave culture.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Joyce and Vecna’s high school days are also briefly depicted in season 5 of Stranger Things, when Max (Sadie Sink) and Holly (Nell Fisher) wade through Henry’s memories and spot Joyce handing out flyers for the school's theater production of Oklahoma.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Jan. 2026
The Baltimore County Fire Department was in the neighborhood Wednesday handing out information and checking in with neighbors.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 7 Jan. 2026
In December, Fullerton police surprised unsuspecting drivers by handing out gift cards instead of citations during some traffic stops.
—Claire Wang, Oc Register, 7 Jan. 2026
Adonis began handing out the hearts to people in his community.
—Kendall Malinchock, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Gray spotted a young woman handing out samples of meat and cheese stuffed into tiny plastic cups.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
Zion Norwood and Wilmer Almendarez, both 16 and students at Western International High School, sat in camp chairs, handing out leaflets supporting Sheffield’s rival, Solomon Kinloch Jr.
—Tanya Wildt, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing out
Verb
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In the indictment, the six defendants were accused of distributing cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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Also this year, nearly 1,000 volunteers contributed more than 3,500 hours organizing, sorting, packing and distributing gifts at the Salvation Army Christmas Center.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Sigillo For oenophiles, Spatafora recommends a visit to Sigillo to try out wines served from its WineEmotion dispensing machine.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Dec. 2025
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Geuss recalls a mentor—a school teacher of his—dispensing advice about becoming a visual artist.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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In the south, Shenzhen was already doling out $70 million a year to support local AI firms and research, while Chengdu, in the west, invested $42 million in a start-up called Zhipu AI to bring a new model-training center and research facility to the city.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
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The funding comes from a $250 million pot of money the Federal Emergency Management Agency is doling out through a new Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems grant program.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
31 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Equipment needs and operational enhancements are being actively addressed through the current city budget process, reflecting our ongoing commitment to providing excellent service to our community.—
Jermont Terry,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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EngineAI confirmed that its production models are powered by NVIDIA Jetson Thor, providing up to 2000 TOPS of AI compute, along with a 360-degree LiDAR perception system.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The singer's annual holiday clip is dividing fans this year.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
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Similar efforts have emerged in Missouri, where the state legislature passed a new map dividing Kansas City among three congressional districts.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Grossmont board focuses on grantmaking, allocating funds from property tax levies for a range of programs.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Nov. 2025
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Oral arguments, typically constrained to an hour (allocating 30 minutes for each side), will be expanded, underscoring the gravity and complexity of the case.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Handing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20out. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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