as in distributes
to give out (something) to appropriate individuals
she doles out office supplies as if she were paying for them out of her own pocket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 doles out
Cakenhagen, a café that doles out beautiful pastries; and the historic Grøften restaurant, which has retained its good vibes since 1874.
—
Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
Antica Locanda doles out comforting Sicilian dishes, from platters of fresh fish to generous bowls of seafood pasta.
—Michele Becker, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2026
Each year, the Masters doles out millions of dollars in a grand prize that is divided among the players with the best scores.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
McKellen lands every snippy bon mot and backhanded compliment that Julian doles out, but Coel makes every crack in Lori’s facade really count, as the mystery behind her commitment to Julian unfurls.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Aziza Scott is a hoot as Anna’s pregnant best friend/real-talk Greek chorus of sorts, and Coiro herself doles out zingers as a random tourist on a bus.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
On the website, an anonymous support team doles out round-ups and aggregates interview highlights, to fill out the content garden.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Football is king in the SEC and dictates the buckets of television money the conference doles out.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Through a combination of buttery-smooth fabric, mighty arch support, impact-absorbing memory foam, and the kind of curved, rocker-like outsole that doles out both traction and momentum on any surface.
—Rudolf Obias, Footwear News, 3 Mar. 2026
Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Apr. 2026
Antica Locanda doles out comforting Sicilian dishes, from platters of fresh fish to generous bowls of seafood pasta.
—Michele Becker, Travel + Leisure, 23 Apr. 2026
Each year, the Masters doles out millions of dollars in a grand prize that is divided among the players with the best scores.
—Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 12 Apr. 2026
McKellen lands every snippy bon mot and backhanded compliment that Julian doles out, but Coel makes every crack in Lori’s facade really count, as the mystery behind her commitment to Julian unfurls.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2026
Aziza Scott is a hoot as Anna’s pregnant best friend/real-talk Greek chorus of sorts, and Coiro herself doles out zingers as a random tourist on a bus.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
On the website, an anonymous support team doles out round-ups and aggregates interview highlights, to fill out the content garden.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
Football is king in the SEC and dictates the buckets of television money the conference doles out.
—Justin Williams, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Through a combination of buttery-smooth fabric, mighty arch support, impact-absorbing memory foam, and the kind of curved, rocker-like outsole that doles out both traction and momentum on any surface.
—Rudolf Obias, Footwear News, 3 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doles out
Verb
-
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
-
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,
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
Verb
-
Ali Riza Dogan, the owner of Manhattan restaurant Ali Baba Mediterranean Cuisine, hands out free meals weekly and has invited homeless people to sleep in his restaurant's entryway on cold nights.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Roxana Jullapat hands out chocolate muffins to her team.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
At the end of the fiscal year, the DOC determines its spending across areas like prison upkeep, the cost of settling lawsuits and workers’ claims, then divides that cost among all the people who were incarcerated at the time, Barrett said.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The model divides decision-making into three layers, including base, action, and evaluation.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
30 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
-
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
“Doles out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doles%20out. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
