deciding factor

noun

1

: something that causes someone to make a particular decision

The deciding factor was cost.

His lack of experience was the deciding factor in my decision not to hire him.

2

: something that causes something to end a particular way

His home run was the deciding factor in the game.

Examples of deciding factor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And as a result, the second issue — affordability, cost of living — a significant deciding factor in that is the price of gasoline, which then affects the price of groceries and everything else. — Peter Balonon-Rosen, Vox, 10 Nov. 2026

Shaving things down to a still-robust 2 hours and 46 minutes isn’t likely to be the deciding factor for many viewers; people tend to round up or down at that length. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2026

In many races, the quality of individual candidates also is poised to be a deciding factor, including in Texas, where Republican Atty. — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

This game seems like one of those times when ‘Mile High Magic’ is the deciding factor. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 Nov. 2026

Rhymes for deciding factor

• bioreactor
• acter
• actor
• tractor
• attractor
• cofactor
• compactor
• contactor
• contractor
• distractor
• extractor
• impactor