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Glite Dictionary
to reach an agreement

to reach an agreement

35 3.0
Decide together after talking about the terms
  • phrasal verb
  • /riːtʃ ən əˈɡriːmənt/
translation icon : llegar a un acuerdo
  • The museum reached an agreement with Greece and returned the four objects last spring.
  • fail to reach an agreement
  • parties reach an agreement
  • reach an agreement with the government

Can't they just reach an agreement just like you guys?

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Examples

  • The company had reached an agreement with her lawyers on an out-of-court settlement.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Then I don't think we can reach an agreement.

    American Pastoral (2016)

  • Many believe the two sides will never reach an agreement.

    Academic text (2010)

  • But we were not successful in reaching an agreement.

    Metropia (2009)

  • The objective should be to reach an agreement on an individual care program.

    Academic text (2008)

  • I am pleased to announce we have reached an agreement.

    The Package (1989)

  • I'm grateful we were able to reach an agreement to allow that to happen.

    Blog text (17)

  • He said we could reach an agreement this time on a lot of things.

    Little Ashes (2008)

  • During the 6-8 July 2009 summit in Moscow, the two presidents reached an agreement on a number of issues, including military-to-military cooperation.

    Academic text (2010)

  • After lengthy negotiations, both parties managed to reach an agreement that satisfied their needs.

Synonyms

to agree
vsto reach an agreement
∞ 1.0

Have the same opinion or say yes

is specifically about making a mutual decision after negotiation or discussion
to settle
vsto reach an agreement
596 3.3

To end an argument by agreement or decision

is focused on the mutual decision reached through discussion or negotiation
to cut a deal
vsto reach an agreement
  • Informal
94 3.5

Make an agreement after talking, often in business or politics

is the general mutual decision made after talk, not only business deals
to come to terms
vsto reach an agreement
83 4.1

To accept a difficult situation or agree with someone after talking

is primarily about mutually deciding terms after discussion, not personal acceptance
to conclude
vsto reach an agreement
  • Formal
50 3.9

To make a formal agreement with others

is the broader act of reaching a mutual decision by discussion
to clinch
vsto reach an agreement
38 5.1

To finally get something after a long effort

is the general act of arriving at a mutual decision, not only decisive endings
to seal the deal
vsto reach an agreement
  • Informal
22 4.0

Make an agreement official by accepting its final terms

is the preceding process of arriving at a mutual decision
to settle with
vsto reach an agreement
22 4.1

To reach an agreement with someone to end a dispute

is the general process of making a mutual decision after discussion
to strike a deal
vsto reach an agreement
20 3.4

To agree with someone after talking about the details

is the general process of making a mutual decision after discussion
to sign on the dotted line
vsto reach an agreement
10 4.3

Officially agree to something by writing your name on a document

is the general process of coming to a mutual decision before formal signing
to reach a consensus
vsto reach an agreement
5 3.5

A group of people agree about something after discussion

is focused on a mutual decision between parties after negotiation
to agree to the terms
vsto reach an agreement
  • Formal
4 2.5

To accept the conditions of a contract or service

is the wider act of mutually deciding terms through discussion
to meet halfway
vsto reach an agreement
2 3.5

Each person gives up some of what they want to reach an agreement

is the broader outcome of mutual decision rather than the specific compromise move
to settle upon
vsto reach an agreement
1 3.9

To pick one thing after thinking about the choices

is the act of reaching a mutual decision through negotiation or talk
to settle a disagreement
vsto reach an agreement
1 3.1

Make people or groups agree after an argument

is the broader act of making a mutual decision after discussion

Antonyms

to disagree
∞ 1.0

Have a different opinion from someone

to break off
50 3.2

To stop something suddenly before it is finished, for example a talk or relationship

How Settled

to finalize
  • US
74 3.8
to reach an agreement
35 3.0
to compromise
215 3.7
to negotiate
  • Formal
801 3.7
to discuss
∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

reach an agreement infinitive
reached an agreement past
reached an agreement past participle
reaching an agreement present participle
reaches an agreement third person singular

Morphology

reach + an + agreement

The meaning 'to come to a mutual decision' is directly and transparently derivable from 'reach' (to attain) + 'agreement' (mutual approval); the article 'an' is functionally empty. This compositional and commonly used collocation corresponds to the straightforward idea of attaining consensus and is cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should understand it.

Etymology

Reach an agreement paints a simple picture: people reach from different sides toward the same point and then accept the same idea, like two hands meeting in a handshake. So it means to 'come to a decision' together after talking.