seal the deal
Americanidiom
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to complete or successfully negotiate an agreement.
If our top executive can't seal the deal, no one can.
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to secure or ensure a successful conclusion: A last-minute goal sealed the deal for Baltimore.
He had aced both interviews, and if the director liked him that would seal the deal.
A last-minute goal sealed the deal for Baltimore.
Etymology
Origin of seal the deal
First recorded in 1950–55
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.
Stocks that have rocketed higher on expectations of huge spectrum sales could easily fall to Earth unless they seal the deal soon.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
If it wasn’t already clear that Odenkirk isn’t your conventional action star, his new film “Normal” should seal the deal.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
Nvidia ended up paying $20 billion to seal the deal, more than it had ever spent on any single acquisition.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
Racing with more caution early on she started motoring in the second half to seal the deal with ease.
From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026
“I had no problem spotting the Butterfly, but I couldn’t seal the deal in time. I forgot about the alternate theater entrance, and I was late getting the jump on the Butterfly because of it.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
