as in distributes
to give out (something) to appropriate individuals
a conscientious pharmacist never dispenses pills to people without assurances that they understand the instructions
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Recent Examples of dispenses
Black folks have seen the face of the US’s prerogative state—the side of the government that dispenses arbitrary jurisprudence, discriminatory law enforcement, and violence against those who challenge its authority and dominant ideologies.
—
Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Of course, the real issue isn’t advice itself, but rather the wisdom of whomever dispenses it—and finding them in the first place is harder to admitting someone else’s opinion just may be savvier than your own.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2026
By the coffee station is a faucet that immediately dispenses either ice-cold or boiling water—a feature all hotels should adopt immediately.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2026
That unit dispenses prescriptions in CVS’ more than 9,000 retail pharmacies and provides other services, such as vaccinations and diagnostic testing.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
Congress has repeatedly waded into establishing an overarching federal law that would encompass AI that dispenses mental health advice.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
In autonomous tests, the robot unscrews bottle caps, extracts individual pills from organizers despite occlusion, dispenses precise syringe volumes under variable resistance, and selects small metal parts from cluttered containers.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
The company previously brought us a slide-out tool that dispenses keys and other items with the flick of a thumb, and a modular multitool that allows users to pick and choose which tools to include.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
First seen at a night-club table of menacing lowlifes, Ida, whose mother tongue is Brooklynese, suddenly switches to a heavy British accent and dispenses a torrent of highly literary sarcasms.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Of course, the real issue isn’t advice itself, but rather the wisdom of whomever dispenses it—and finding them in the first place is harder to admitting someone else’s opinion just may be savvier than your own.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2026
By the coffee station is a faucet that immediately dispenses either ice-cold or boiling water—a feature all hotels should adopt immediately.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Feb. 2026
That unit dispenses prescriptions in CVS’ more than 9,000 retail pharmacies and provides other services, such as vaccinations and diagnostic testing.
—Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
Congress has repeatedly waded into establishing an overarching federal law that would encompass AI that dispenses mental health advice.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
In autonomous tests, the robot unscrews bottle caps, extracts individual pills from organizers despite occlusion, dispenses precise syringe volumes under variable resistance, and selects small metal parts from cluttered containers.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
The company previously brought us a slide-out tool that dispenses keys and other items with the flick of a thumb, and a modular multitool that allows users to pick and choose which tools to include.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dispenses
Verb
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Food restrictions for Cubans date back to 1962, when ration books were first established, a system that distributes monthly staples.—
Sarah Moreno
Updated April 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The top half of the purifier features a glossy white, bladeless amplifier loop fan that distributes clean, hydrated air throughout the room.—
John R. Delaney,
PC Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The lower level provides flexible additional space with custom storage and cedar closets.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
2 May 2026
-
Speaking of dry skin, glycerin draws in hydration, colloidal oatmeal calms itchiness and irritation, and aloe provides an immediate, cooling relief when skin feels hot or reactive.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), which administers the Istanbul Biennial, has tapped artist and curator Liu Ding and art historian Carol Yinghua Lu to lead the nineteenth edition, set to run from September 18 through November 14, 2027.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
27 Apr. 2026
-
CalOptima administers public health insurance in Orange County.—
Mona Darwish,
Oc Register,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The state treasurer manages the state’s Pooled Money Investment Account, which invests monies on behalf of state government and local jurisdictions and allocates state bond financing for projects related to education, infrastructure, the environment or affordable housing.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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The law allocates about $17 billion in funding for road safety programs due to rising traffic deaths nationwide.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dispenses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dispenses. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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