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

In December 2024, the Malaysian government agreed to a $70 million deal with Ocean Infinity to resume the search for MH370. —Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025

The district judge declined her jurisdictional prerogatives, saying that the case was too serious to be settled in a magistrates’ court and must be heard by a Crown Court, which deals with the most severe criminal offenses. —Rosa Lyster, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

Food was the biggest need the nonprofit was dealing with in its first two years. —Charlotte Observer, 30 Dec. 2025

OpenAI's recent deal with Disney could draw even more young users to the platform. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025