deal with
Britishverb
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to take action on
to deal with each problem in turn
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to punish
the headmaster will deal with the culprit
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to be concerned with
the book deals with Dutch art
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to conduct oneself (towards others), esp with regard to fairness
he can be relied on to deal fairly with everyone
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to do business with
the firm deals with many overseas suppliers
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See deal in , def. 1.
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Do business with someone, as in I like dealing with this company . [Late 1600s] Also see deal in , def. 2.
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Take action in, handle, administer, dispose of, as in The committee will deal with this matter . [Second half of 1400s]
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Act in a specified way toward someone, as in He dealt extremely fairly with his competitors . [c. 1300]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Those viewers who live in less-polite environs than Idaho will likely be taken by the genteel way the officers deal with the young people, however the kids are involved with the case.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Not even Odysseus had to deal with that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The deal with Russia’s Arnest Management is expected to complete during the second half of 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
After 11 trophies in three years in Spain, Batlle, 27, has signed a four-year deal with an option for a further 12 months at Arsenal and is targeting more silverware.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Hey, if you can name a feeling, you can deal with it, right?”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.