the real deal

noun

informal

: something or someone that is real or genuine : a thing or person that is not a copy or imitation

These diamonds aren't fake. They're the real deal.

That guy looked so much like Elvis, I almost thought he was the real deal.

Examples of the real deal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When Sidney and Gale (Courteney Cox) visit Fallbrook Psychiatric Hospital, an employee named Marco (Ethan Embry) recognizes Stu as a John Doe patient who was recently released, seemingly confirming the calls are coming from the real deal. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026

Rather than getting too tile-happy and going to town on your own with these DIY tiles, be patient and hire a professional or learn how to properly install the real deal. —Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026

Bedsure 4-piece Sheet Set An obsession-worthy set of sheets for $15 sounds too good to be true, but take it from me and over 6,000 other reviewers—the Bedsure sheet set is the real deal. —Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 16 Feb. 2026

Elissa Sanci Is Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, the real deal? —Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for the real deal

• afebrile
• bookmobile
• cochineal
• nonideal
• peroneal
• philomel
• popliteal
• snowmobile
• waterwheel
• abele
• alkyl
• anneal