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
Since Lover, Swift has come and gone with relative ease, doling out generous portions of concerts and documentaries and behind-the-scenes looks and then going away for months at a time.
—
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Harsha added that the CRA is concerned the agency will or has already begun front-loading its grant funding to catch up on spending, doling out the full amount of a grant instead of distributing it over the course of a number of years.
—Fiona Bork, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2026
Govan basked in the limelight nearby, shaking hands and doling out hugs and back pats.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Garrison was generous with his money, doling out a hundred dollars here and there to people in his life.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
As her mother, Linda Emond's Susan gets only a few moments to shine — and milks every single one for all its worth, doling out wince-worthy advice rooted in real (if outdated) wisdom, as many mothers do.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal, along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.
—Mark Long, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2026
Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.
—Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
In addition, the chatbot will only be able to provide medication which consumers already have a prescription for, rather than doling out entirely new drugs to users.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2026
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Harsha added that the CRA is concerned the agency will or has already begun front-loading its grant funding to catch up on spending, doling out the full amount of a grant instead of distributing it over the course of a number of years.
—Fiona Bork, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2026
Govan basked in the limelight nearby, shaking hands and doling out hugs and back pats.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Garrison was generous with his money, doling out a hundred dollars here and there to people in his life.
—Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
As her mother, Linda Emond's Susan gets only a few moments to shine — and milks every single one for all its worth, doling out wince-worthy advice rooted in real (if outdated) wisdom, as many mothers do.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Apr. 2026
Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal, along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.
—Mark Long, Arkansas Online, 5 Apr. 2026
Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.
—Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
In addition, the chatbot will only be able to provide medication which consumers already have a prescription for, rather than doling out entirely new drugs to users.
—Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doling out
Verb
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The new version is made by the original producer, Ecosse Films, and Masterpiece PBS in association with Northern Ireland Screen and Banijay Rights, which is distributing the six-part series internationally.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
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For a large, thick cast-iron skillet, electric burners are terrible for evenly distributing heat and keeping oil hot.—
Jack Hennessy,
Outdoor Life,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The trailer then came apart, dispensing much of the cargo of iced tea beverages on the road, as the truck bounced off the wall and across the other lane of traffic into and through the guardrail.—
Logan Smith,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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In the Chicago area, Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes screens, tests and processes donated milk before dispensing it to hospitals.—
Alexander Crider,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sheriff’s deputies this week went door to door in the USF area handing out flyers about the disappearance.—
Dan Sullivan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 Apr. 2026
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The mayor and city officials unveiled a six-point plan that includes handing out free gun locks and other initiatives.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These days, some innovative school districts and nonprofit groups are trying to help students labeled EBD by tapping Medicaid money for therapy and family support, providing what are called wraparound services to get students with EBD back into mainstream classes.—
Laurie Stern,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2026
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The reshaping of the hospital’s campus seeks to strike a balance among lifting the hospital’s national profile, providing more efficiently for the health care needs of the local community and recognizing the reality of an aging population that needs increasingly sophisticated care.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The University of Massachusetts poll, fielded among 1,000 Americans, found 74% believe there are more things uniting them than dividing them.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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Michelle Boudreau Design mixed a white dividing wall with hedges that don't block the view of palm trees in this desert backyard.—
Kristin Hohenadel,
The Spruce,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Despite the cash flow from those deals, some investors are concerned that Oracle is allocating too much money to its infrastructure initiatives.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
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Gao Jiyang, founder and CEO of embodied AI firm Galaxea, said the challenge has shifted from simply collecting more data to allocating it across modalities in a structured way.—
Ni Tao,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Doling out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doling%20out. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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