Meaning & use
money deal
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Meanings
nouncountableinformal
an agreement or arrangement, often informal or secret, that involves a large amount of money
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a money deal' or 'money deals'. It often follows verbs like 'make', 'do', or 'close'.
Patterns
- make a money deal
- do a money deal
- a money deal with someone
The two companies made a money deal to share the profits.
He was accused of doing a secret money deal with a foreign investor.
They closed a money deal worth millions of dollars.
nouncountablebusiness
a business agreement that is mainly about money rather than goods or services
Grammar: Countable and often used in business contexts to contrast with deals about products or property.
Patterns
- a money deal between A and B
- negotiate a money deal
The merger was really a money deal, not a strategic partnership.
She negotiated a money deal that gave her a share of future sales.
Word forms
| plural | money deals |
|---|
Common combinations
- make a money deal
- They made a money deal to buy the land.
- a shady money deal
- The newspaper exposed a shady money deal between officials and builders.
- close a money deal
- The bank closed a money deal with the startup last week.
- a money deal worth millions
- It was a money deal worth millions, but no one knew about it.
Synonyms and how they differ
- financial agreement
- More formal and neutral; use it in official documents instead of the informal 'money deal'.
- transaction
- Refers to a single act of buying, selling, or exchanging money, while 'money deal' often suggests a negotiated arrangement.
- arrangement
- A general word for any plan or agreement; 'money deal' specifically involves large sums.
Commonly confused: money deal or money order?
money deal vs money order
A money order is a document used to send money safely; a money deal is an agreement about money.
Practice
The two businessmen made a secret ______ to avoid paying taxes.
Choose one answer.
'Money deal' fits an informal agreement about money. 'Money crunch' means a shortage of money, and 'money order' is a payment document, neither of which matches an agreement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “money deal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.