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

There is a lot to deal with—big things and small things (like going through the box to find this ring that looks like family treasure). —Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Sep. 2025

Already dealing with flood damage, Riverside University High School was also working to clean up a chemical spill. —Rory Linnane, jsonline.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Why anyone would want to suddenly have to deal with the issues of politics is beyond me. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 2 Sep. 2025

Dowling, the younger brother of former Caravan star quarterback Blainey Dowling, was solid filling in for all-state quarterback Jack Elliott last season when Elliott dealt with some injuries. —Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 2 Sep. 2025