DEAL Synonyms: 339 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

deal 1 of 3

noun (1)

Definition of deal

as in ton

a considerable amount there is a great deal of waste in government

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deal

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in agreement

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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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

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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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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

deal

3 of 3

verb

ˈdēl

as in to trade

to carry on the business of buying and selling goods or other property that store deals in used furniture

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

News of the potential deal comes as Witkoff is expected to present Putin with a proposal for a partial ceasefire covering energy and food infrastructure, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Tuesday. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 The new gaming experience, created in partnership with video game website IGN, will offer members gaming articles and reviews, live Best Buy event updates for launches and deals on new technology. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026

Verb

With big-play threats Mosley and Tanook Hines on the field, Maiava looked like an elite Big Ten quarterback dealing the ball in locations only his two ace receivers could catch. — Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 But in a similar move to the substantial losses that Iran had been dealt by the US and Israel earlier in the war, the Houthis chose asymmetric targets. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for deal

Noun

Testing autonomy at sea The three-and-a-half-hour exercise used a modified 368-ton unmanned surface vessel previously operated by the US Navy.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
At that rate, removing one billion tons a year would consume almost 8 percent of all the electricity produced worldwide.

— Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ton

Noun

Companies are only allowed to disclose them if the agreements are noncancellable.

— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Of the 13 most competitive Senate races, seven Republicans have expressed skepticism or outright opposition to the agreement that is unlikely to significantly affect high diesel costs contributing to broader inflation.

— Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of agreement

Noun

Vinyl records just posted their nineteenth consecutive year of growth, passing $1 billion in US sales in an era when streaming has made music essentially free.

— Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Private facilities will usually accept leaves from many different sources and have larger quantities of compost available for bulk sale.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of sale

Noun

Basis trades are an arbitrage bet in which hedge funds are positioned long in cash Treasurys while shorting their corresponding futures contracts, with the aim of profiting from the price gap.

— Hugh Leask, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026
Again, two-way contracts can be swapped out at any time, with such salaries not counting against the salary cap.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of contract

Verb

About 4,400 SpaceX employees stood to become millionaires once the stock began trading, the New York Times reported, and Fortune profiled workers from top executives to welders whose equity is now worth seven figures or more.

— Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
The company held a record-setting initial public offering in June, and Musk is not able to sell or trade the bulk of his stock until June 2027 because of lockup provisions.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of trade

Verb

Pascal Lamy negotiated China’s accession to the WTO in 2001 on behalf of the EU.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Ian Gray, vice president of intelligence at the threat monitoring company Flashpoint, told NBC Miami this was a likely indication that Florida officials were negotiating with ShinyHunters to prevent a leak of the database.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of negotiate

Cite this Entry

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“Deal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deal. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of deal

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Synonyms of deal

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noun (2)

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Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

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