How to Use deal-breaker in a Sentence

deal-breaker

noun
  • This may be a deal-breaker for me.
    — Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
  • This might be a deal-breaker for me.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Arkansas Online, 18 Jan. 2026
  • This doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker.
    — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026
  • Might not be a deal-breaker, but might be a red flag.
    — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
  • That may be a deal-breaker for some buyers.
    — PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
  • Having two big salaries isn’t a deal-breaker.
    — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
  • If this is a deal-breaker for you, check some of the others on this list.
    — Isabella Ubaldi, Verywell Health, 19 Apr. 2024
  • What are your own real estate must-haves — and deal-breakers?
    — Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Some even come with toilets and showers, so that doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker.
    — Casey Barber, CNN, 5 July 2024
  • This may or may not be a deal-breaker for some potential partners.
    — Janece Maze, Country Living, 31 Aug. 2023
  • But that doesn’t mean keeping Howard Stern is a deal-breaker.
    — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Think about all your deal-breakers in deciding your next career move.
    — Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • In any case, users can appeal, so this is more of an annoyance than a deal-breaker.
    — Justin Pot, PCMAG, 24 July 2024
  • The latter are deal-breakers for about one in seven singles.
    — Essence, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Unlit keys might be a deal-breaker for some, but not many laptops have backlit keys at this price.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 10 Mar. 2026
  • That though could be a deal-breaker in terms of inspiring you to buy the product or service at hand.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
  • There’s also no cord storage, which is annoying but not a deal-breaker.
    — Lizzy Briskin, People.com, 3 Oct. 2024
  • Not a deal-breaker, of course, just reality.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
  • For Helen, that’s a deal-breaker—but this isn’t Helen’s deal to break!
    — Allegra Goodman, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2026
  • Glowing reviews with one small negative that isn’t a deal-breaker.
    — Boutayna Chokrane, Wired News, 8 July 2025
  • This may or may not be a deal-breaker, however, depending on a few factors.
    — Berit Thorkelson, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Apr. 2025
  • After all, flaming bright red seats are a deal-breaker for many potential buyers.
    — Peter Lyon, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
  • While the touchpad is a bit stiff and the laptop is heavier than some models of its screen size, these flaws aren’t deal-breakers.
    — Charles Jefferies, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Love may be blind, but political differences can still be a deal-breaker.
    — Saba Hamedy, NBC News, 10 Mar. 2025
  • That's disappointing, but not a deal-breaker.
    — Tyler Hayes, PC Magazine, 12 Aug. 2025
  • For many working-class families, the time and money required was a deal-breaker.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2023
  • That finale was another deal-breaker for Field.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
  • The former Colorado star said last week that not being able to play both sides of the ball would be a deal-breaker for him.
    — Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Evers has not signaled whether the portion related to school police would be a deal-breaker for him.
    — Rory Linnane, Journal Sentinel, 5 May 2023
  • But as long as Lee doesn’t pull a Kenny Atkinson here, none of that is a deal-breaker.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 9 May 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deal-breaker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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