Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

deal breaker

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.59 in modern English

Syllables: deal break-er
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An issue which causes a relationship or proposal, especially in business, to fail.

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: nonnegotiable (noun), prerequisite (noun), sine qua non"
"Sometimes the process of digging uncovered a deal breaker."
"For Rosie, Carl’s attitude isn’t a deal breaker—not even close. It’s just a product of the bizarre wealth imbalances that the housing market is creating among young people."

Inflected Forms

deal breakers (plural) deal-breaker (alternative) dealbreaker (alternative)

Phrases

deal-breakery apple of discord bone of contention last straw passion killer stumbling block

Frequently Paired Words

apple of discord bone of contention last straw passion killer showstopper stumbling block

Synonyms

nonnegotiable prerequisite sine qua non

Antonyms

dealmaker

Questions

What does deal breaker mean?: An issue which causes a relationship or proposal, especially in business, to fail.

How to pronounce deal breaker

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “deal breaker”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “deal breaker” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.