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deal with

phraseB12 meaningsNot compared — the two pools are counted one word at a time, so a phrase has no score

To deal with something is to take care of a problem or a person that needs attention. Not avoiding it — handling it.

It is one of the busiest phrases in working English, covering complaints, emails, emergencies and difficult colleagues. There is a second sense meaning to be about, since a book can deal with a subject. And a third about trade, since a shop deals with a supplier. The phrase also carries emotional weight, since dealing with a loss means coping rather than solving. Handle is the everyday alternative.

Definitions of deal with

  1. 1phrasedeal withTo take action about a problem or situation.B1

    “Somebody needs to deal with the leak before Friday.”

  2. 2phraseconcernedTo be concerned with a subject.B2

    “The second chapter will deal with the war years.”

Also accepted in games: handle

Practised in Phrasal Verbs, A Man Called Ove

First appears in chapter 6 of A Man Called Ove.

Practise this word