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View definitions for deal with

deal with

verb as in attack

verb as in patronize

verb as in process

verb as in touch

verb as in dispose of

verb as in field

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Example Sentences

Patience is virtue—a really, painfully difficult-to-deal-with virtue.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for deal with?

To deal with a situation, issue, or problem is to address it in some way, to tend to it.

A synonym is handle, but this often implies success—meaning that the issue or problem will be solved or resolved (or, more informally, worked out or taken care of).

Another way of saying you have a lot to deal with is to say you’ve got a lot on your plate. This means you’re busy.

Deal with is also used in other ways.

To deal with a person can mean to interact with them in some way, often in a professional setting, as in I know the one clerk, Jane, but I’ve never dealt with Brian. In the context of people, deal with is also often used in a more negative way that implies that the person is a problem, as in I can’t deal with the kids right now—they’re driving me up the wall. Handle is also used as a synonym for this sense.

Deal with can also be used more specifically to mean punish or otherwise treat harshly, as in As for you, I’ll deal with you later. 

Much differently, deal with is also used in the context of the topic of something, such as a piece of writing, as in This book deals with the history of personal computing.  

In this context, terms that mean the same thing as deals with include involves, examines, or, perhaps most commonly, is about.

How do you use deal with in a sentence?

Deal with is somewhat informal, but it’s commonly used in a lot of different contexts.

Here are some examples of deal with in a sentence:

  • He was ill-equipped to deal with the situation.
  • I simply cannot deal with your complaining right now. 
  • The film deals with a group of students who protest their school’s unjust policies.
  • The king told the guard to deal with the prisoner.

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On this page you'll find 32 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to deal/deal with, such as: act, approach, attend to, behave, behave toward, and clear.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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