raw deal

Idioms  

1. An instance of unfair or harsh treatment, as in After 25 years with the bank Bob got a raw deal—no pension, no retirement benefits of any kind, just a gold watch. Raw here means “crude” or “unfair.” [First half of 1900s]

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Example Sentences

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raw deal

Also in Weekend Reads: The latest on SpaceX and other IPOs, a raw deal for Alphabet’s non-Berkshire shareholders and advice from the Moneyist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

By anyone’s standards, Lohan took the raw deal she was given as a child star whose popularity exploded in the brutal celebrity culture of the early aughts and transformed it into an impressive second act.

From Salon ● Dec. 3, 2024

Logie, who left Division II Point Loma to become Montana State’s head man last season, inherited a raw deal with the Bobcats.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 25, 2024

So they’re trying to figure out how to split Expo Park and maybe, I don’t think, I don’t think that’s a good, that’s a raw deal for Curren.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2022

I'm the one that's given the raw deal.

From The Lookout Man by Bower, B. M.