deal with

British  

verb

1. to take action on

   to deal with each problem in turn

2. to punish

   the headmaster will deal with the culprit

3. to be concerned with

   the book deals with Dutch art

4. to conduct oneself (towards others), esp with regard to fairness

   he can be relied on to deal fairly with everyone

5. to do business with

   the firm deals with many overseas suppliers

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deal with Idioms  

1. See deal in , def. 1.

2. Do business with someone, as in I like dealing with this company . [Late 1600s] Also see deal in , def. 2.

3. Take action in, handle, administer, dispose of, as in The committee will deal with this matter . [Second half of 1400s]

4. Act in a specified way toward someone, as in He dealt extremely fairly with his competitors . [c. 1300]

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Example Sentences

Unpack that: In other words: Deal with it now.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Deal with that credit-card debt ASAP, given that the average APR is 22.8%.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 8, 2026

“The complexities of a Deal with Mexico are somewhat different than other Nations because of both the problems, and assets, of the Border.”

From Salon • Jul. 31, 2025

That same document also talked about the £500m City Deal with Greater Cambridge, investing in infrastructure, housing and skills.

From BBC • Jul. 24, 2023

“You can’t tell me who to spend time with. Ivan’s my friend. Deal with it!”

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack