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
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Adams said more than 230,000 migrants had come to the city with approximately $7 billion in taxpayers’ money doled out to house and feed them.—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 9 Apr. 2025 Those payments are being calculated by a formula that will favor football and basketball players and will be doled out by the NCAA and the conferences.—Janie McCauley, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025 Eliminating housing first at the federal level would have less of an effect on San Diego since California still uses the model to dole out state funds.—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 The Department of Justice did issue a warning letter to the tech giant, but did not stop him from doling out money.—Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 29 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dole out
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