as in distributes
to give out (something) to appropriate individuals
no system yet in place for handing out room assignments
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Recent Examples of hands out
Blakespear recognizes Women Who Inspire in Senate District 38, while Boerner hands out Women of Impact awards in the 77th Assembly District.
—
Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
The country’s economic crimes unit has opened a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland — who also once headed the committee that hands out the Nobel Peace Prize — over his ties with Epstein.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
This single fine is close to the normal total of $8 million to $10 million in all fines that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration hands out each year.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
Boston Public Health Commissioner Bisola Ojikutu revealed in September that the city hands out more than 80,000 needles per month to drug users.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Though there were reports that Cassidy and Payne had split in May of the following year, the couple dispelled rumors the next month when they were spotted holding hands out on a date night in London.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
The state hands out the money based on student attendance.
—Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025
But Liam is with her when their family hands out enchiladas and care packages to the homeless — something Liam always asked to do with his McDonald’s Happy Meals.
—Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025
Volunteers with the Havre de Grace Youth Commission hands out free backpacks filled with school supplies during the Refuel for School Youth Festival organized by the commission, in Havre de Grace on Saturday, August 16.
—Brian T. Krista, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2025
Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
The country’s economic crimes unit has opened a corruption investigation into former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland — who also once headed the committee that hands out the Nobel Peace Prize — over his ties with Epstein.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
This single fine is close to the normal total of $8 million to $10 million in all fines that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration hands out each year.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Jan. 2026
Boston Public Health Commissioner Bisola Ojikutu revealed in September that the city hands out more than 80,000 needles per month to drug users.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Though there were reports that Cassidy and Payne had split in May of the following year, the couple dispelled rumors the next month when they were spotted holding hands out on a date night in London.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
The state hands out the money based on student attendance.
—Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman, 10 Sep. 2025
But Liam is with her when their family hands out enchiladas and care packages to the homeless — something Liam always asked to do with his McDonald’s Happy Meals.
—Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025
Volunteers with the Havre de Grace Youth Commission hands out free backpacks filled with school supplies during the Refuel for School Youth Festival organized by the commission, in Havre de Grace on Saturday, August 16.
—Brian T. Krista, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hands out
Verb
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The Swiss food producer distributes KitKat bars globally, except in the United States, where Hershey has the rights.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes payments on a staggered schedule throughout each month rather than sending them all at once.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Wesley Miller, who started 23 games at South Alabama over the past two years, provides depth at safety along with DeAndre Boykins, who is in his sixth season of college.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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Flint’s Forest Rangers club provides outdoor educational programming for kids ages four to 12, and the whole family can mine for sapphires or take on the ropes course together.—
Julie Bielenberg,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When access to capital is restricted, wealth becomes more concentrated and the powerful engine of growth becomes a force that divides rather than elevates us all.—
Jacob Walthour,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
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In a nutshell, OFDMA divides channels into resource units (RUs), allowing for smaller data packets that can be transmitted to multiple users simultaneously.—
Iyaz Akhtar,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The design proposal allocates a total of 22 garage parking stalls for residents.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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Federal dollars are also given to the Texas Workforce Commission, which then allocates the money to 28 local workforce development boards across the state.—
Jess Huff,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This 81-passenger wooden ferry has been shuttling people and supplies six miles between Mallaig and the off-grid village of Inverie for the past 60 years.—
Jen Murphy,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
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And an official at Nongshim, South Korea’s largest instant noodle manufacturer, said the company that supplies its plastic packaging currently has about one month’s worth of supply left.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hands out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hands%20out. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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