done deal

Idioms  

1. An irrevocable agreement, as in Once you've signed the lease, it's a done deal. This slangy expression, first recorded in 1979, may have come from done thing, originating in the late 1600s.

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Example Sentences

Croce said it was a done deal, warned her to stop questioning him and later told the nominating committee she was insubordinate.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

But the project, estimated to cost between $11 billion and $15 billion, is far from a done deal.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

It's far from a done deal - Paramount still needs approval from regulators.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

"Paramount/Warner Bros is not a done deal," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Friday.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

In Scott’s mind it was a done deal.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer