mete out
phrasal verb
meted out; meting out; metes out
: to give (something) to the people who one decides 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.
Examples of mete out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Johnson said afterward that Green should be censured by the House — among the more severe reprimands his colleagues could mete out.
—
Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Her example of a better way of doing things is the British system that has separate boards for setting standards and for meting out punishment, neither of which is controlled by physicians.
—Andrew Wimer, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Phillips said Russia's justice system usually deals with such cases by meting out probation and deferred sentences — which essentially amount to no or relatively little time in custody.
—Sarah Dean, NBC News, 11 Feb. 2025
Their brutal actions, meted out under Ivan's direction.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mete out
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Lisa Mascaro, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025
Her example of a better way of doing things is the British system that has separate boards for setting standards and for meting out punishment, neither of which is controlled by physicians.
—Andrew Wimer, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
Phillips said Russia's justice system usually deals with such cases by meting out probation and deferred sentences — which essentially amount to no or relatively little time in custody.
—Sarah Dean, NBC News, 11 Feb. 2025
Their brutal actions, meted out under Ivan's direction.
—Teresa Nowakowski, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mete out
Cite this Entry
“Mete out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mete%20out. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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