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

See Examples For:

done deal

With markets increasingly convinced that a hike is a done deal, attention will center on the BOJ’s forward guidance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

With surging energy prices expected to further fuel eurozone inflation, which already hit a three-year high in August, a fresh hike to borrowing costs looks like a done deal.

From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026

Another CPI report is due before the Fed’s next rate decision in September, so it is far from a done deal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Many described during the public comment period shock and dismay at city leaders considering taking back wage increases that were already a done deal.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026

In Scott’s mind it was a done deal.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer