mete out

verb

administer or bestow, as in small portions

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administer critical remarks to everyone present

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dole out some money

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shell out pocket money for the children

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deal a blow to someone

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the machine dispenses soft drinks

• Syn:

↑distribute, ↑administer, ↑deal, ↑parcel out, ↑lot, ↑dispense, ↑shell out, ↑deal out, ↑dish out, ↑allot, ↑dole out

• Derivationally related forms:

↑allotment (for: ↑allot), ↑dispensation (for: ↑dispense), ↑dispenser (for: ↑dispense), ↑deal (for: ↑deal), ↑distribution (for: ↑distribute), ↑distributor (for: ↑distribute), ↑distributer (for: ↑distribute)

• Hypernyms: ↑give

• Hyponyms:

↑assign, ↑allot, ↑portion, ↑reallot, ↑deal, ↑give, ↑apply

• Verb Frames:

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Somebody ——s something

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Somebody ——s something to somebody

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ˌmete ˈout [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they mete out he/she/it metes out present participle meting out past tense meted out past participle meted out] formal phrasal verb

to give a punishment to someone

The same treatment should be meted out to politicians who break the rules.

Thesaurus: to punish someone_synonym punishment of being legally killed_hyponym

Main entry: mete

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mete out [phrasal verb]

mete (something) out or mete out (something) : to give (something) to the people who you decide should get it : to give out or distribute (something)

We're trying to be fair in meting out rewards and punishments.

— usually used to refer to something unpleasant (such as punishment)

Huge fines were meted out as punishment.

The king meted out justice as he saw fit.

• • •

Main Entry: ↑mete