deal in
Idioms-
Also, deal with . Be occupied or concerned with, as in Jim deals in generalities , or This book deals with idioms . The first term dates from the late 1500s, the variant from about 1300.
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Do business or trade in something, as in They deal in diamonds . [Late 1500s] Also see deal with .
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deal someone in . Also, deal one a hand . Include someone, give someone a share, as in I hope they'll deal me in on this new enterprise . This usage comes from card games, where to deal has meant “to distribute cards” since the 16th century. [Early 1900s]
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.
A federal judge in California ordered the companies to temporarily pause the deal in a ruling on Monday, just two days before the European Union gave the merger a conditional green light.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
The 37-page lawsuit filed by the state attorneys general alleges that Paramount’s proposed takeover — the largest Hollywood deal in decades — would violate the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
The U.S.’s Justice Department closed an investigation into the planned deal in June without challenging the transaction or demanding concessions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Kevin was an inspiration to me as a young player and, I'm honoured to say, a friend whose guidance and support meant a great deal in recent years," said Howe.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
He’d been a big deal in the army—a major in the Special Air Service, Australia’s equivalent of the Green Berets.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
