dole out

verb

doled out; doling out; doles out
Synonyms of dole outnext

transitive verb

1
: to give or deliver in small portions
2
: dish out

Synonyms of dole out

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for dole out

distribute, dispense, divide, deal, dole out mean to give out, usually in shares, to each member of a group.

distribute implies an apportioning by separation of something into parts, units, or amounts.

distributed food to the needy

dispense suggests the giving of a carefully weighed or measured portion to each of a group according to due or need.

dispensed wisdom to the students

divide stresses the separation of a whole into parts and implies that the parts are equal.

three charitable groups divided the proceeds

deal emphasizes the allotment of something piece by piece.

deal out equipment and supplies

dole out implies a carefully measured portion of something that is often in short supply.

doled out what little food there was

Examples of dole out in a Sentence

she doles out office supplies as if she were paying for them out of her own pocket
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Since 2022, Flagg has doled out millions on properties spanning from coast to coast. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 29 June 2026 But doling out in the realm of $30 million for three years to change leadership on the bench does not compare to these tax payments. — Fred Katz, New York Times, 26 June 2026 This week, Michelin doled out stars to restaurants across California. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 June 2026 More than 1,000 Amazon shoppers snapped up the pants in the past month alone, doling out hundreds of five-star ratings in the process. — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dole out

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dole out was in 1749

Rhymes for dole out

See All Rhymes for dole out

Browse Nearby Words

dolentissimo
dole out
dolerite
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dole out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dole%20out. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dole out

Nglish: Translation of dole out for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All