deal with

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

Idioms and Phrases

See deal in , def. 1.

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

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

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