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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 When Michael Ham first began handing out samples of his company’s tea to Whole Foods shoppers in 2024, explaining that it was grown using regenerative farming on South Korea’s Jeju Island, he was often met with blank stares. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 Before the cars are back on track, The Athletic’s F1 experts Luke Smith and Madeline Coleman have analyzed each team to date this season, handing out midterm report cards. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Illinois is dropping another $17M this year, handing out grants to 39 organizations participating in the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program. — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 The days of casually handing out nine-figure signing bonuses are likely over. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026 The Kansas City People’s Choice Awards has become more than a night for handing out trophies. — Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handing out
  1. distributing
  2. dispensing
  3. doling out
  4. providing
  5. dividing
  6. allocating
Verb
  • Since 2021, nearly 50 North Carolina hospitals and the state’s health department have begun distributing the wristbands, to give mothers and care providers a visual reminder of the life-threatening health risks after birth.
    — Andrew Jones, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Alibaba has bolstered that cycle by distributing Qwen through its cloud platform to enterprise customers in markets including Southeast Asia and Africa, giving it a reach that many rivals lack.
    — Saritha Rai, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of distributing
Verb
  • Instead, the provider manages gas sourcing, compression, transportation, storage, and dispensing through a single service.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
  • There was even a machine dispensing soft-serve ice cream at the Jay Street station in Brooklyn.
    — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of dispensing
Verb
  • The Dodgers, to their credit, have built a great team—not only by doling out huge salaries but by building an élite development program.
    — Diego Lasarte, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Online, influencers in the looksmaxxing space have leveraged other men's insecurities to enormous fame while doling out aesthetic advice with little, if any, credentials.
    — Charles Trepany, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of doling out
Verb
  • Our absolute priority right now is providing unwavering support to their families, friends, and teammates during this devastating time.
    — Jack Moore, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Sundeeep Dosanjh with the Rocklin Unified School District said teachers are also providing some flexibility to students who need additional time to finish eating.
    — Conor McGill, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of providing
Verb
  • The weeks that followed have been packed with political posturing, protests and provocative talk-show fodder, much of it aimed at dividing people much more than to actually support women’s sports.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Both my wife and I have been through the loss of our parents and found the following method has worked very well for dividing up sentimental possessions among the many brothers and sisters on both sides of the family.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of dividing
Verb
  • For many consumers, diversifying their portfolios often comes in the form of allocating assets across different classes.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Mamdani campaigned on a goal of allocating 1 percent of the city’s budget to parks.
    — Sam Blum, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of allocating

Browse Nearby Words

handing on
handing out
handing over
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Cite this Entry

“Handing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20out. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on handing out

Nglish: Translation of handing out for Spanish Speakers

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