deal with

phrasal verb

dealt with; dealing with; deals with

1

: to be about (something) : to have (something) as a subject

Her speech dealt with health care and the nation's economy.

The film deals with some serious issues.

2

: to make business agreements with (someone)

He deals fairly with all his customers.

Their salespeople are very easy to deal with.

3

: to do something about (a person or thing that causes a problem or difficult situation)

The government dealt harshly with the rebels.

I'll deal with you later.

We weren't able/equipped/prepared to deal with such a large crowd of people.

4

: to accept or try to accept (something that is true and cannot be changed)

She's still trying to deal with his death.

The weather is bad, but we'll just have to deal with it.

Examples of deal with in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Beyond the apparent hamstring tightness, Peterson has dealt with cramping issues over the last few weeks. —Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 12 Nov. 2025

Philadelphia will likely chase a new deal with Kyle Schwarber, which might keep them from aggressively pursuing Suárez. —Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025

D’Aoust is just one of the many travelers affected by Sonder’s shutdown following the sudden end of a deal with Marriott, which had let guests book and earn loyalty points at Sonder’s 9,000 furnished apartments and boutique hotel rooms in 40 cities across 10 countries. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025

There are a variety of different ways for schools to deal with this. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025