Deal with meaning
Deal with means to do what is needed to solve a problem or finish a task. It can also mean to manage a difficult feeling or situation.
deal with something
deal with · dealt · dealing
Don’t worry about the bill. I’ll deal with it.
Deal with meanings and examples
4 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
-
1
Do what is needed to solve a problem or finish a task
deal with something
- Don’t worry about the bill. I’ll deal with it.
- Who deals with complaints in this office?
- We haven’t dealt with the leak in the bathroom yet.
-
2
Manage a difficult feeling or situation
deal with somebody or something
- How do you deal with stress at work?
- She’s dealing with a lot since her dad got ill.
- I can’t deal with this right now.
-
3
Talk to or do business with people, especially at work
deal with somebody or something
- In my job, I deal with customers all day.
- We’ve dealt with this supplier for ten years.
- He’s hard to deal with when he’s tired.
-
4
Be about a particular subject
deal with something
- The film deals with life after prison.
- This chapter deals with the human heart.
- Does the course deal with grammar too?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use deal with in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is deal with separable?
Deal with is not separable. The problem or person always comes after with: deal with the problem, deal with it.
The past form is dealt, not dealed: I dealt with it yesterday. I can’t deal is short slang for I can’t deal with this.
Verb tenses for deal with
| Present | I deal with · she deals with |
|---|---|
| Past | dealt with |
| Present perfect | have dealt with |
| -ing form | dealing with |
Common mistakes with deal with
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I dealed with the problem yesterday.
Right: I dealt with the problem yesterday.
Deal is irregular: deal, dealt, dealt.
Wrong: I’ll deal it with tomorrow.
Right: I’ll deal with it tomorrow.
Deal with is not separable.
Wrong: The book deals about climate change.
Right: The book deals with climate change.
Use with, not about: deal with a topic.
Synonyms and opposites of deal with
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- handlemanage a problem or person, very close
- cope withmanage something hard, often feelings
- sort outsolve a problem or put things in order
Opposite
- ignorepay no attention to a problem
- put offdelay doing something until later
Deal with quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1The manager will ___ your complaint today.
Deal with a complaint means do something to solve it.
-
2Choose the right sentence.
The past is dealt, and the object goes after with.
-
3“This article deals with sleep and memory.” What does it mean?
Deal with a subject means be about it.
Find your level
The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.
Deal with FAQ
Questions people ask about deal with.
What is the past tense of deal with?
Dealt with, pronounced like delt: We dealt with it last week.
What is the difference between deal with and cope with?
Deal with means take action: deal with a problem. Cope with means manage to live through something hard: cope with grief.
What does deal with it mean?
Said to someone, Deal with it! means accept it and stop complaining. It can sound rude.
Use deal with in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.