# sweetheart deal

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sweetheart-deal
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A transaction, contract, or other agreement in which one party provides particularly favorable terms to the other, especially in suspicious circumstances.

## Examples

- The company gave the manager a sweetheart deal on his new house.
- Critics argued that the city council gave the developer a sweetheart deal, ignoring the usual rules for public land use.
- The investigative report uncovered a series of sweetheart deals that allowed the corporation to avoid taxes while securing lucrative government contracts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.