Deal with means to take action to handle something: a problem, a task or stress. The second common meaning is to have contact with people, such as customers, colleagues or suppliers. The verb is neutral, so it suits both conversation and work emails.
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deal with + problem/situation/stress; deal with + customers/people; dealt with (past)
- Our support team deals with dozens of customer questions every morning.
- I usually deal with stress by going for a long walk after work.
- As a manager, she deals with suppliers from three different countries.
What changed
First versionDon't worry, I'll decide this problem before the meeting.
RevisionDon't worry, I'll deal with this problem before the meeting.
Decide means to make a choice, so decide this problem does not make sense in English. When you take action to handle a problem, say deal with a problem. If the problem is removed completely, solve also fits.
Cope with is close in meaning, but the focus is different. Cope with means to get through a difficulty without falling apart: She is coping with a lot of pressure. Deal with means to actively take care of something: I'll deal with the invoice today.
Your turn
The manager was busy, so her assistant ___ the angry customer.
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dealt with — The assistant took charge of the angry customer and handled the situation, so dealt with is needed. Without with, deal means to hand out, for example playing cards, which makes no sense in this sentence.
Write about an unexpected problem at work or in your studies. Name the problem and one specific step you took to handle it.
When the office printer stopped working before the exam, I dealt with it by printing the tests at the library next door.
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