as in distributing
to give out (something) to appropriate individuals
she doles out office supplies as if she were paying for them out of her own pocket
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Recent Examples of doling out
Every Sunday, Avenida Paulista closes to cars and becomes a pedestrian boulevard with musicians performing on street corners and food vendors doling out fresh sugarcane juice.
—
AFAR Media, 17 Oct. 2025
This one does things a bit differently, though, being of the non-aerosol variety and instead doling out its magic in powder form.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
The series peeks behind the plastic countertops at the people doling out driver's licenses and car registrations, finding humor in driving tests, angry patrons and office politics.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
This isn’t just a quirky uncle at Thanksgiving doling out wacky advice.
—Flavia Mangan Colgan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2025
Even before she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska (2002), the 95-year-old actor had been a go-to Everygrandma, doling out enough geriatric sass to make the Golden Girls bow down yet doing so in the most polite, Midwestern way imaginable.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Consider the absurdity of carving a single oozing arancini into three or four pieces, doling out two measly salad leaves each to a foursome, or hacking a pristine fish fillet into chum for five.
—Maggie Hennessy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025
Mariah Carey, will be honored with the ceremonies' Video Vanguard Award, while the presenter list is equally glamorous, with Ciara, Drew Barrymore, Ashlee Simpson and Jessica Simpson, and many more doling out awards throughout the night.
—Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
The Sanseito party tapped into these frustrations on the campaign trail – doling out rhetoric that some critics called inflammatory and xenophobic.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
AFAR Media, 17 Oct. 2025
This one does things a bit differently, though, being of the non-aerosol variety and instead doling out its magic in powder form.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
The series peeks behind the plastic countertops at the people doling out driver's licenses and car registrations, finding humor in driving tests, angry patrons and office politics.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
This isn’t just a quirky uncle at Thanksgiving doling out wacky advice.
—Flavia Mangan Colgan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Oct. 2025
Even before she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska (2002), the 95-year-old actor had been a go-to Everygrandma, doling out enough geriatric sass to make the Golden Girls bow down yet doing so in the most polite, Midwestern way imaginable.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Consider the absurdity of carving a single oozing arancini into three or four pieces, doling out two measly salad leaves each to a foursome, or hacking a pristine fish fillet into chum for five.
—Maggie Hennessy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025
Mariah Carey, will be honored with the ceremonies' Video Vanguard Award, while the presenter list is equally glamorous, with Ciara, Drew Barrymore, Ashlee Simpson and Jessica Simpson, and many more doling out awards throughout the night.
—Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
The Sanseito party tapped into these frustrations on the campaign trail – doling out rhetoric that some critics called inflammatory and xenophobic.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doling out
Verb
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Her nonprofit, the Health Freedom Defense Fund, is now distributing model legislation and a how-to guide, with talking points to persuade legislators.—
Audrey Dutton,
CNN Money,
23 Oct. 2025
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Zegna ventured into new territory by producing and distributing all of Ford’s men’s and women’s fashion and accessories.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But the idea of parachuting into a writers’ room, dispensing high-level feedback, then moving on to the next?—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
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Almost every Republican senator signed a letter demanding the FDA reconsider its approval and reinstate in-person dispensing requirements.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Mercury News,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There are original 20th-century mosaics underfoot, live jazz in the air, and servers handing out refreshments before anyone even boards.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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The parade departs the temple Sunday morning and makes a slow crawl through a several-mile route, lined with thousands of people and many vendors handing out food and drinks.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Other companies, such as BlackSky and Maxar, are providing their own electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imagery—that is, images in the visible and infrared light spectrums—commercially.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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Robb Report has the exclusive on the launch, providing American buyers first access to one of South America’s most ambitious luxury residential projects.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Where to Stay While Umbria isn’t massive, dividing your trip into at least two home bases is highly recommended to appreciate the region’s slower tempo.—
John Skelton,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Sympodial orchids must be propagated by dividing them, not pruning or trimming them.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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California law allows health care districts to transfer their assets to management corporations, but allocating 50% or more, as determined by a fair market value analysis, requires a public vote.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Oct. 2025
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As a result of a series of fiscal and appropriations committees overseeing government budgets, the process of allocating and approving funds is convoluted, Bilmes said.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Doling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doling%20out. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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