dealt him

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "dealt him" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts involving card games or situations where something is given or assigned to someone. Example: "In the poker game, she dealt him a pair of aces."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sports

General Usage

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

"We've never dealt him a body blow".

The New Yorker

Last July, the Phillies dealt him to the Giants.

The New York Times - Sports

The Yankees dealt him to Seattle three weeks later.

The New York Times - Sports

The death I dealt him was undreamable, however, and horrible.

The New Yorker

Life had again dealt him a bum hand.

The New York Times

In 2008 the Pacers traded O'Neal to Toronto, which dealt him the following year to Miami.

The New York Times - Sports

Presumably convinced his performance was a fluke, Kansas City dealt him to San Francisco last November.

The Economist

So the Yankees dealt him to the Tigers for three young pitchers.

The New York Times - Sports

Peca sat out last season, and afterward the Buffalo Sabres dealt him to the Islanders.

The New York Times - Sports

In his favour, though, where fate has dealt him a fortunate hand, he's tended to make the most of it.

Independent

Meanwhile, Lee prospered with the Mariners, but the team fared poorly and it dealt him to Texas in July.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "dealt him" to indicate a person receiving a particular card in a card game, or a specific outcome or situation in life. For example: "Life had again "dealt him" a bum hand."

Common error

Avoid using "dealt him" when you simply mean to 'give' something, as it often implies a formal transaction or a fateful event. If there is no sense of official action or destiny, opt for "gave him" or "handed him" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "dealt him" functions as a transitive verb phrase, where "dealt" is the verb indicating an action of distributing, assigning, or trading, and "him" is the direct object, the recipient of the action. As Ludwig AI suggests, the phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Sports

30%

General Usage

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Formal & Business

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "dealt him" is a versatile verb phrase primarily used in news, sports, and general contexts. According to Ludwig AI, it's considered correct and frequently used in English. It conveys the action of giving, assigning, or trading something to someone, or facing a particular outcome of a situation. It appears most commonly in "News & Media" and "Sports", suggesting a neutral to slightly formal register. When considering alternative phrases like "gave him" or "assigned him", choose the one that best fits the specific context, keeping in mind the formality and connotation you wish to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

dealt to him

A more verbose but grammatically correct way of saying the same thing.

gave him

Direct replacement focusing on the act of giving.

handed him

Similar to 'gave him' but with a nuance of physical delivery.

traded him

Specifically refers to exchanging someone or something, commonly used in sports.

passed him

Implies handing something over, often in a collaborative context.

provided him with

Focuses on supplying or equipping someone with something needed.

assigned him

Suggests a formal allocation or task delegation.

presented him with

More formal, implies offering something of significance.

allotted him

Implies a specific portion or share being granted.

inflicted upon him

Suggests the imposition of something negative or harmful.

FAQs

How can I use "dealt him" in a sentence?

You can use "dealt him" to describe trading someone in sports, as in "The team "dealt him" to another team". It can also describe fate or circumstance, such as "Life "dealt him" a bad hand".

What phrases are similar to "dealt him"?

Similar phrases include "gave him", "assigned him", or "traded him". The best choice depends on the context.

When is it appropriate to use "dealt him" instead of "gave him"?

"Dealt him" suggests a formal or consequential transfer. Use it for trades, assignments, or when describing fate. "Gave him" is more appropriate for simple acts of giving.

Is it correct to say "dealt him a blow"?

Yes, it's correct. It implies delivering a significant setback or defeat. In this context, "dealt him" means to inflict upon someone, not just hand over something.