HANDING OUT Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

handing out

verb

present participle of hand out

as in distributing

to give out (something) to appropriate individuals no system yet in place for handing out room assignments

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of handing out Dean, 58, refereed 553 top-flight matches from 2000 until his retirement in 2022, handing out a record 113 red cards in the division. — Sam Joseph, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The next day, Mladic's forces were filmed handing out sweets to children, promising their safe passage. — Ivana Sekularac, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 My interest came from learning folk songs, memorable stories passed down over the generations in an oral sense before the American music business cut it up and started handing out ownership of copyrights and publishing. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026 Ana Karina García, director of Juntos Se Puede, an organization that helps Venezuelan migrants in Colombia, said that the Colombian government stopped handing out new temporary residency permits three years ago. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026 The damage is so widespread that even the people handing out the food were impacted by the same ongoing crisis. — Sara MacHi, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 Adults can share the duties of handing out snacks and keeping kids entertained. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Aug. 2026 This entails handing out thousands of patronage jobs to rabbis, bureaucrats, undertakers, and inspectors. — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026 Drake has been handing out cash to his fans — and passersby — for years. — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing out

Verb

Paramount is distributing the film, which was made and financed by Hammerstone.

— Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Mensah looked as good as the numbers suggested, too, ripping NFL-level throws and distributing the ball to his myriad playmakers, namely wide receiver Malachi Toney.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of distributing

Verb

Staff are tuned-in and attentive, knowledgeable and efficient, without dispensing any of the sirs and ma’ams and stilted affections of fancier places.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
The agreement resolves a lawsuit filed in 2020 that alleged Walmart repeatedly violated the federal Controlled Substances Act by unlawfully dispensing opioid prescriptions at pharmacies across the country.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of dispensing

Verb

The investigation in Loretto was sparked after the West Side safety net hospital came under fire for improperly doling out COVID-19 vaccinations soon after the shots became available.

— Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
The White House has continued doling out tariffs despite the ruling.

— Kevin Breuninger,Jeff Cox, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of doling out

Verb

The tests included transporting packages, medical supplies, food, water, and industrial equipment, providing a practical demonstration of the aircraft’s autonomous cargo capabilities.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
The cores or plugs removed from the lawn during aeration actually increase the success of overseeding by providing more direct contact between the seeds and the soil.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of providing

Verb

With popularity dating back to the 1950s, open-concept layouts are floor plans that intentionally don’t have any dividing walls between rooms to create one large space.

— Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2026
The case has become a national cultural fixation and a social media spectacle, gripping and dividing spectators well beyond the Massachusetts courtroom where the 36-year-old mother is charged with killing her three young children.

— Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of dividing

Verb

Another popular option is the 50/20/30 method, which entails allocating 50% of your income to your needs, 20% to your savings and 30% to your wants.

— Mallika Mitra, Sacbee.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Discrepancy theory is a branch of mathematics concerned with allocating resources as evenly as possible.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of allocating

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handing on

handing out

handing over

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“Handing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20out. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of handing out

verb

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