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
Inmates reported experiencing seemingly random assaults from the staff as well as targeted attacks meted out as punishment, the report found.
—
Rebekah Riess, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
Though only the first three episodes will be released as a binge, with the remainder meted out weekly, the steady beat of shoes dropping makes for a propulsive, addicting watch.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
But there are also cases to mete out, defendants' innocence to establish, and, since this is L.A., celebrities to name drop.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 23 Feb. 2025
Though the new series skews more young adult, there's still a content consideration in mind when meting out death and destruction.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mete out
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Rebekah Riess, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025
Though only the first three episodes will be released as a binge, with the remainder meted out weekly, the steady beat of shoes dropping makes for a propulsive, addicting watch.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
But there are also cases to mete out, defendants' innocence to establish, and, since this is L.A., celebrities to name drop.
—Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 23 Feb. 2025
Though the new series skews more young adult, there's still a content consideration in mind when meting out death and destruction.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 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 29 Mar. 2025.
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