deal-breaker

noun

deal-break·​er ˈdēl-ˌbrā-kər 

variants or less commonly deal breaker or dealbreaker

plural deal-breakers also deal breakers or dealbreakers

1

: someone or something that prevents a deal or arrangement from being reached or fulfilled

That's where the other key player, Tomas Kaberle, comes in. He was a deal-breaker a few weeks ago in a potential trade between the Flyers and Toronto, when Quinn would not substitute him for the injured Danny Markov.

—Tim Panaccio

Pay attention to any signs of a DIY fix or update. This isn't necessarily a deal-breaker, but it's better to know now—when you can ask the seller about it—than after the deal is done.

—Matt Ellis

2

: a reason for rejecting someone or something

The display is disappointing but not necessarily a deal-breaker unless your job consists of editing photos and videos.

—Jason Cipriani

Overall, the biggest dealbreaker was the $290 price tag.

—Bianca Alba

Any number of women I interviewed cited clinginess in a boyfriend as a major deal breaker.

—Liza Mundy

Examples of deal-breaker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That might not be a deal-breaker, as the Brooklyn Nets are still sitting on upward of $20 million in cap space. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

But that doesn’t mean keeping Howard Stern is a deal-breaker. —Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025

That's disappointing, but not a deal-breaker. —Tyler Hayes, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2025

If those are deal-breakers, then consider the older Acer Nitro 5 ($1,098), which has lesser specs but is slightly smaller and lighter, and its battery life is a bit better. —Luke Larsen Scott Gilbertson, Wired News, 1 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for deal-breaker

• blackacre
• caretaker
• clockmaker
• dressmaker
• filmmaker
• homemaker
• icebreaker
• lawmaker
• matchmaker
• pacemaker
• partaker
• peacemaker