deal breaker
Americannoun
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an aspect, condition, or item that would not be accepted by a party to a business transaction or political deal.
Prior to committing to a partnership, the corporation needs to have a clear vision of deal breakers versus where they are willing to be flexible.
-
something that would cause a person to abandon a plan, mutual arrangement, agreement, or relationship.
Sorry, but entering into marriage with a partner who has hefty debt or terrible credit is definitely a deal breaker.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of deal breaker
First recorded in 1975–80; deal 1 ( def. ) + breaker 1 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Both phones have the same 6.1-inch screen, but no MagSafe on the 16e was a deal breaker for me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026
If return-to-office mandates are a deal breaker, Choudhury said you don’t have to be limited to domestic employers in your job hunt.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 9, 2026
Greater voting control is a deal breaker for Tesla’s robot future, Musk made clear on the company’s third-quarter earnings call.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
“Bad teeth are a deal breaker for me. I want someone who takes care of themselves.”
From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2024
He even offered to draw chest and leg hairs on the Wild Boy of Bainbridge Island, but the whole permanent-ink thing was a deal breaker as far as I was concerned.
From "Winger" by Andrew Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
