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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The San Diego Air Pollution Control District launched the program in 2024, distributing over 10,000 purifiers to local residents.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Jan. 2026
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Markiplier, who boasts 73 million followers across digital platforms, including 38 million subscribers on Youtube, is also self-distributing the film.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Though your sink may not be running constantly, the dispensing pipe always has water ready to be used.—
Katey Psencik,
Austin American Statesman,
23 Jan. 2026
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The number of beet juice-dispensing trucks in the city of Chicago, according to Cole Stallard, Chicago’s commissioner of Streets and Sanitation.—
Jeff Martin,
Fortune,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Her parents worked in the family’s furniture store, where Weiss’s father, Lou, had a flair for marketing, doling out a line of candies called Weiss Krispie Treats to customers.—
Clare Malone,
New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2026
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Laime had a tendency to get involved with her listeners, trading emails back and forth after doling out advice.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
18 Jan. 2026
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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As the sector transitions from the initial brute-force stage of training large models to the challenge of running them affordably and efficiently on a large scale, designers are dividing into rival factions.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Through the deal, Authentic is dividing Guess’s IP and operations, with Authentic owning 51% of the IP.—
Hilary Milnes,
Vogue,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Voters in 2014 approved Proposition 1, allocating $1 billion for a water storage project in the Sacramento Valley that remains under construction.—
Nadia Lathan,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
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Trump’s 2025 tax and budget bill reflected this reprioritization, allocating US$170 billion over four years to immigration enforcement, compared to approximately $30 billion allocated in 2024.—
Kelsey Norman,
The Conversation,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Handing out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handing%20out. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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