side deal

British

noun

a transaction between two people for their private benefit, which is subsidiary to a contract negotiated by them on behalf of the organizations they represent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

I love these back-and-forths where the justices are like, “No, we have a side deal that nobody knows about, and we’re just going to wink and nod and hope that it all works out.”

From Slate • Jul. 18, 2025

But those complaints aside, the two had other motives for striking a side deal this time and spurning the commission and its fall schedule.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2024

The agreement also included roughly $69 billion through a side deal to bolster the non-defense spending side, bringing the total to about $1.65 trillion.

From Washington Times • Dec. 21, 2023

The company is interested in cutting a side deal where it would help move current subscribers to the new online service and in the process maintain a relationship with those customers.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 24, 2022

He had a side deal going, a hustle that took me right back to the old steering days in Harlem.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023