an offer (one) can't refuse

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an offer (one) can't refuse

An offer in which the repercussions for refusing would be so great that to do so would be either be dangerous or ill-advised. It often implies the "offer" is a threat, but this is not always the case. The phrase was coined by Mario Puzo in his 1969 novel The Godfather, and popularized by the 1972 Francis Ford Coppola film adaptation of the same name. If he's not willing to agree to the contract, I might have to bring a few men over and make him an offer he can't refuse. The buyout deal was worth $9 billion to the company, so, really, it was an offer we couldn't refuse.
See also: offer, refuse

*offer one cannot refuse

Cliché a very attractive offer. (*Typically: give one ~; make ~; make one ~.) He made me an offer I could not refuse, so I sold him my car.
See also: cannot, offer, one, refuse
References in periodicals archive ?
Reese Shearsmith guest stars as Santa, someone is hoping for a kiss with Vic, and friend Beefy is made an offer he can't refuse.
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Cruise plays Mitch McDeere, a young, ambitious lawyer with a promising future who is approached by a rival company and made an offer he can't refuse.
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Previously revered racing tipsters like Tom Segal and Matt Williams will be handed their P45s and Brown will be made an offer he can't refuse to become the Post's main man (although making a bloke who knows the next day's racing results an offer he can't refuse will not be easy).
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The other boy is Steven, who gets an offer he can't refuse (or doesn't want to) when Sam suggests bringing a girl into the mix.
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He may well soon get an offer he can't refuse for last season's top scorer Milan Baros, but at the moment Benitez can see a much more competitive front line than last season.
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Pounds 5 MILLION-RATED FC Utrecht striker Michael Mols last night urged Celtic to make him an offer he can't refuse.
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Reece Shearsmith guest stars as Santa, Julie hopes for a kiss with Vic, and Beefy is made an offer he can't refuse.
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Meanwhile Stan returns from his court appearance with a fine and a curfew and makes Dean an offer he can't refuse.
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On the brink of the invasion of Kuwait and war with the West, Uday makes Latif an offer he can't refuse, of being his double.
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I read his column in this paper and listen to anything he does on BBC radio - someone should make him an offer he can't refuse.
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She plays the sexy English ex-girlfriend of budding super villain Lex Luthor and she makes him an offer he can't refuse tonight.
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