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

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The Supreme Court heard arguments basically pitting the Voting Rights Act against constitutional provisions that deal with equal treatment under the law. Dana Taylor, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025 For years, Mitul Desai felt that the best way to deal with his little brother's schizophrenia was to avoid talking about it. Kat McGowan, NPR, 31 Dec. 2025 The months-long impasse between Florida Blue and Broward Health and Memorial Healthcare System has affected as many as 40,000 policyholders who must deal with higher out-of-pocket costs, a disruption in their doctor relationships, and finding ongoing treatment for non-emergency care. Cindy Krischer Goodman, Miami Herald, 31 Dec. 2025 Another user echoed those same sentiments, sharing their own personal experience dealing with the imbalance. Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 31 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deal with

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Cite this Entry

“Deal with.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deal%20with. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

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