done deal
34
3.2
- noun
- Informal
:
trato hecho
- Majority want the merger, it's a done deal.
They're not, they're not done deals, they're accusations, right.
- They're not, they're not done deals, they're accusations, right.
- It's been experimentally tested and that is a done deal.
- Be ready now what this means this isn't a sure a done deal yet.
Examples
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It's a done deal.
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Now that the paperwork is finalized, we can officially say it's a done deal.
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This is pretty much a done deal at this point.
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You said this was a done deal!
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You said it was a done deal.
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It's not a done deal yet.
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You might be right, but it's a done deal.
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Besides, this is a done deal.
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So it's a done deal for Joe, who never knew what hit him.
Blog text (8) -
I thought Ms. Yeom's appointment was a done deal.
Synonyms
∞
1.4
A promise made between two or more people, often written
1
4.6
A legally binding deal that is very hard to break
Antonyms
How Final
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an agreement that has been completed' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'done' (finished) + 'deal' (agreement). This simple adjective+noun construction follows common, cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The phrase done deal may come from the simple image of people signing papers and shaking hands when a business agreement is finished, so the deal is done. That's why done deal means an agreement that is 'final' and cannot be changed.