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

The U.N. has complained about funding problems in the past, but this time it is taking unprecedented actions to deal with the shortfall.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

Plaid wants a long-term "legacy" solution to the problems, but will have to do a deal with parties to get any solution through the Senedd.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

While oil has dropped to under $100 a barrel, markets appeared skittish on Friday over the prospects for a deal, with mixed messages appearing to emerge out of the region.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Crude-oil prices in the U.S. and internationally tumbled to their lowest levels of the session on Friday as President Donald Trump called a meeting to help finalize a deal with Iran.

From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026

“Someone needs to deal with these boxes if we’re going to live in this place,” the mother-Human said.

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth