deal 1 of 3

noun (1)

Definition of dealnext
as in ton
a considerable amount there is a great deal of waste in government

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deal

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
as in agreement
an arrangement about action to be taken we made a deal to cooperate on the next assignment

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in sale
the transfer of ownership of something from one person to another for a price we closed the deal for the house last week

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3
as in contract
a formal agreement to fulfill an obligation if the other party backs out of the deal after it's signed, you can sue

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in situation
position with regard to conditions and circumstances we don't yet know what the deal is with the new manager

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5
as in bargain
something bought or offered for sale at a desirable price that mail-order sweater isn't such a great deal after you factor in the cost of shipping and handling

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deal

3 of 3

verb

ˈdēl How to pronounce deal (audio)
1
as in to trade
to carry on the business of buying and selling goods or other property that store deals in used furniture

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to negotiate
to talk over or dispute the terms of a purchase you're going to have to learn how to deal if you want to buy a car at a fair price

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb deal differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of deal are dispense, distribute, divide, and dole out. While all these words mean "to give out, usually in shares, to each member of a group," deal emphasizes the allotment of something piece by piece.

deal out equipment and supplies

When could dispense be used to replace deal?

In some situations, the words dispense and deal are roughly equivalent. However, dispense suggests the giving of a carefully weighed or measured portion to each of a group according to due or need.

dispensed wisdom to the students

When is distribute a more appropriate choice than deal?

Although the words distribute and deal have much in common, distribute implies an apportioning by separation of something into parts, units, or amounts.

distributed food to the needy

When can divide be used instead of deal?

The words divide and deal are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, divide stresses the separation of a whole into parts and implies that the parts are equal.

three charitable groups divided the proceeds

When is it sensible to use dole out instead of deal?

The synonyms dole out and deal are sometimes interchangeable, but dole out implies a carefully measured portion of something that is often in short supply.

doled out what little food there was

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deal
Noun
Perhaps surprisingly, there are a few deals to be had here. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 May 2026 Since the trial kicked off late last month, Anthropic has announced a new enterprise AI services company, agents for financial services and a major compute deal for capacity at the xAI Colossus 1 data center in Memphis, Tennessee. —Ashley Capoot,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 19 May 2026
Verb
She’s been dealt a fabulous hand all season, and her success doesn’t seem to be through particularly great work on her part. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 May 2026 While the Spurs had a great supporting cast around Duncan, Kobe was left with scraps after Shaq was dealt to Miami. —Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for deal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deal
  1. ton
  2. agreement
  3. sale
  4. contract
  5. situation
  6. bargain
  7. trade
  8. negotiate
Noun
  • One way that the country is choosing to signal its new start to the world is through the metaphorically bizarre but logistically impressive feat of transporting a 60-ton iceberg from the Antarctic to the 1992 Expo in Seville, Spain — crackly TV footage of which opens the film.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 14 May 2026
  • Larger sauropods have been found from later on in the Cretaceous period — one as heavy as 70 tons.
    — James Doubek, NPR, 14 May 2026
Definition of ton
Noun
  • Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire struck in mid-April could end if Iran did not strike a deal, with shifting parameters for striking such an agreement.
    — Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026
  • This year, however, the band members were clearly in agreement about hitting the road to celebrate Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, albeit in much larger venues than the ones Corgan played on his own.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 May 2026
Definition of agreement
Noun
  • The company’s revenue rose 32% to $915 million in the first quarter, and El-Hoshy said much of those sales weren’t booked at the higher prices.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
  • Last week, the American Hotel & Lodging Association reported hotel bookings for most host cities have tracked below initial forecasts, with particular weakness seen in Kansas City, where as many as 90% of respondents said sales were trailing a typical summer.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 14 May 2026
Definition of sale
Noun
  • United gave Ten Hag a contract extension after winning the 2024 FA Cup final and came to regret it.
    — Carl Anka, New York Times, 17 May 2026
  • The four-time NFL MVP agreed to a one-year contract worth $22 million guaranteed with the Steelers on Saturday, a source confirmed.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
Definition of contract
Noun
  • At the ground level, businesses are trying to make the best of a still highly uncertain situation.
    — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • But including Sunday’s appearance, three of Morris’ last four outings have been in bigger situations, and the opportunities are unlikely to slow down.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Definition of situation
Noun
  • Gregory Lorenzi has spent the past 10 years at Brest, where his eye for a bargain helped to catapult the humble Breton club from mid-table mediocrity in Ligue 2 to a third-place finish in Ligue 1 and a fairytale Champions League campaign.
    — Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026
  • Denmark's sustainability investments are supported by the country's high taxes, and Aarhus is by no means a bargain destination.
    — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Definition of bargain
Verb
  • At the annual Tony Awards nominees luncheon, Broadway’s biggest stars, breakthrough performers and veteran craftspeople traded nerves for laughter, candid confessions and mutual admiration.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 18 May 2026
  • Coby White was finally traded after alternating between both backcourt positions and being a starter before landing as Charlotte’s bench gunner to end the season.
    — Law Murray, New York Times, 18 May 2026
Definition of trade
Verb
  • There’s a lot of ways to negotiate.
    — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
  • While Pritzker and state lawmakers have been negotiating on legislation to provide the Bears with property tax breaks for a stadium in Arlington Heights, Johnson has continued to push to keep the Bears in Chicago.
    — Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 19 May 2026
Definition of negotiate

Phrases Containing deal

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deaf to reason
deal
dealer
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Cite this Entry

“Deal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deal. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on deal

Nglish: Translation of deal for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about deal

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