raw deal

noun

Synonyms of raw dealnext
: an instance of unfair treatment

Examples of raw deal in a Sentence

these mice are really getting a raw deal: after we're through using them for our science experiment, they get fed to our snake
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But lots of people get raw deals, pick themselves up and get the job done. WSJ, 8 Dec. 2023 Along comes host number two, an ant, who definitely gets the raw deal. New Atlas, 12 Apr. 2025 In a world seemingly full of raw deals, the price of a hot dog and a soda at Costco hasn’t changed in 40 years. Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026 The Kings gave him 22 million reasons to get over it — the total dollar value of his new two-year contract extension — leaving Rangers fans as the ones who truly got the raw deal. Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026 Lil Rel Howery, effortlessly funny in most of his other films, gets an equally raw deal as Moose, the Sancho Panza to Harold’s Don Quixote. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 31 July 2024 Whether the Blues hiring Montgomery and moving on from Bannister becomes reality or remains a rumor, the remote possibility would be a very raw deal for Bannister. Jeremy Rutherford, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024 The Big 12 commissioner was in Fort Worth on Monday to meet the new director of athletics at TCU, and the topic of conversation is how his league has performed this postseason, specifically the raw deals for both BYU and Arizona State. Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of raw deal was in 1911

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Raw deal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raw%20deal. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

raw deal

noun
: an instance of unfair treatment
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