Quick answer: Deal with means to address, manage, or cope with a situation, especially a problem or difficulty: Can you deal with the complaint? Handle means to manage, control, or operate something, often implying direct or practical action: She handled the negotiations well. / Please handle this package carefully. For fuller definitions, see the Cambridge Dictionary.
Comparison Table
| Expression | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| deal with | phrasal verb | address, manage, or cope with (often problems or situations) | I’ll deal with the complaints later. |
| handle | verb | manage, control, or operate (often practical or physical) | She handled the situation calmly. |
Using Deal With
Deal with is a phrasal verb most commonly used to describe addressing, managing, or coping with problems, situations, tasks, or people. It suggests that there is something to be resolved or attended to. It is very common in both formal and informal contexts.
We need to deal with this issue before Friday.
How do you deal with difficult customers?
The report deals with environmental policy.
She’s not sure how to deal with the pressure.
Deal With for Subject Matter
Deal with also means “to be about” or “to cover a topic.” In this sense, it cannot be replaced by handle.
This chapter deals with verb tenses.
The documentary deals with climate change.
This chapter handles verb tenses. (unnatural in British English)
Using Handle
Handle suggests direct, practical management or control. It is often used when someone is managing an object, a task, or a situation that requires skill, care, or competence. Handle can also literally mean to touch or operate something with your hands.
Please handle the glassware with care.
He handles all customer enquiries personally.
The pilot handled the emergency landing expertly.
Can you handle the pressure of this role?
Handle in Informal Speech
In informal British English, handle is often used to mean “to cope with” or “to tolerate,” especially in negative sentences.
I can’t handle all this noise.
She couldn’t handle the workload.
Do you think he can handle the responsibility?
When They Overlap
In many sentences about managing situations, both words are interchangeable, but the nuance differs slightly:
I’ll deal with the problem. (I will address/resolve it)
I’ll handle the problem. (I will take direct control of it)
She deals with complaints. (part of her role / she addresses them)
She handles complaints. (she manages them directly / competently)
Choose deal with when the emphasis is on addressing or resolving something, especially a problem. Choose handle when the emphasis is on direct, skilled, or practical management or control.
Common Mistakes
✗ The book handles the topic of identity.
✓ The book deals with the topic of identity.
Note: when a text is “about” something, only deal with is natural.
✗ Please deal with the fragile items carefully.
✓ Please handle the fragile items carefully.
Note: handle is the correct choice when touching or operating objects with hands.
✗ I need to deal the situation.
✓ I need to deal with the situation.
Note: deal always requires “with” in this meaning; it is a two-word phrasal verb.
Also confusing: Manage vs Control. Browse all confusing word pairs →
Quick Check: Deal With or Handle?
Four questions — choose the correct option for each sentence.
1. “This chapter ___ the causes of inflation.”
2. “___ the specimens with gloves at all times.”
3. “I can’t ___ so much criticism at once.”
4. “We will ___ the legal issues first.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between deal with and handle?
Deal with is a phrasal verb meaning to address, manage, or cope with a situation, often a problem or difficulty. Handle means to manage, control, or operate something, often implying direct, practical, or skilled action. In many contexts they overlap, but deal with is preferred for abstract situations and subject matter, while handle suits physical or direct management.
Can I say “handle the problem” instead of “deal with the problem”?
Yes, in most contexts both are natural. “Handle the problem” suggests you are taking direct, practical control. “Deal with the problem” suggests you are addressing or resolving it. The difference is subtle and both are widely used.
Is “deal with” a phrasal verb?
Yes. Deal with is an inseparable phrasal verb, meaning the object always comes after “with”: “I will deal with it.” You cannot separate the two words: “I will deal it with” is incorrect.
Can handle mean to touch something physically?
Yes. Handle has a literal meaning: to hold, touch, or operate something with your hands. For example: “Handle the equipment with care.” Deal with cannot be used in this physical sense.
When should I use “deal with” for topics or text?
Use deal with when describing what a book, article, course, or report is about: “The guide deals with advanced grammar.” Handle is not natural in this meaning in British English.
Is “I can’t handle this” correct?
Yes. “I can’t handle this” is a very natural informal expression meaning “I cannot cope with this.” You can also say “I can’t deal with this,” which is equally natural and common.
Which is more formal — deal with or handle?
Both are used in formal and informal English. Handle may sound slightly more professional in business contexts (“She handles client accounts”), while deal with is very common in formal writing when meaning “to address” (“The policy deals with data protection”).
Can “deal with” be used to mean “do business with”?
Yes. “Deal with” can mean to do business or trade with someone: “We deal with suppliers across Europe.” Handle does not carry this commercial meaning.
How do deal with and cope with differ?
Deal with implies actively resolving or managing a situation. Cope with implies managing to get through a difficult situation, often with some difficulty or effort: “She coped with the loss remarkably well.” Cope with suggests endurance; deal with suggests action.
Are deal with and handle interchangeable in IELTS writing?
Largely yes for abstract situations, but note the difference: use deal with to describe what a text covers (“The essay deals with inequality”) and handle for practical management (“Governments should handle climate change more urgently”). Using both correctly shows range.