cerrar (un acuerdo)
verbCEFR B2
What does “cerrar (un acuerdo)” mean in English?
to close a deal, to finalise an agreement
to close a deal, to finalise an agreement (cerrar un acuerdo/trato — reaching the conclusion of a negotiation)
Example sentences
Después de tres semanas de negociaciones, las dos empresas cerraron el acuerdo en una reunión celebrada en Madrid.
After three weeks of negotiations, the two companies closed the deal at a meeting held in Madrid.
Si cerramos el trato antes de fin de mes, podemos incluirlo en los resultados del trimestre actual.
If we close the deal before the end of the month, we can include it in this quarter's results.
Estamos muy cerca de cerrar el contrato; sólo quedan por acordar las condiciones de pago.
We are very close to closing the contract; only the payment terms remain to be agreed.
How to use it
Cerrar un acuerdo / un trato means 'to close a deal' or 'to finalise an agreement'. Cerrar in this sense means to conclude or seal — not to physically close something. The metaphor is closing a deal in the commercial sense. Pattern: cerrar un acuerdo / un trato / un contrato. Common in negotiation and commercial contexts: hemos cerrado el acuerdo (we've closed the deal). Register: neutral to formal; used in B2B, commercial, and legal contexts.
Common mistake
Cerrar un acuerdo is an idiomatic use of cerrar — don't translate literally as 'to close/shut'. The metaphor maps onto English 'to close a deal'. The past tense cerramos el trato is common in commercial reporting; present progressive estamos cerrando el trato signals the final stages of negotiation. Contrast: firmar (physical signing — later step) vs. cerrar el acuerdo (reaching the conceptual agreement — may precede signing).