1
: a line drawn within or around a prison that a prisoner passes at the risk of being shot
2
a
: a date or time before which something must be done
b
: the time after which copy is not accepted for a particular issue of a publication
see also on deadline
Examples of deadline in a Sentence
She worked on her composition right up until the deadline.
We had to hurry to meet the deadline.
The project was completed a week past its deadline.
The deadline for submitting college applications is April 19th.
They're working under a deadline.
Recent Examples on the Web
The White House subsequently announced that Beijing had agreed to buy at least 12 million tons of American soybeans in 2025, a deadline that later shifted to February.
—
Hallie Gu, Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026
The city faces a March 6 deadline for the council to approve June 2026 ballot measures.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
He was believed to be on the market ahead of the trade deadline, but the White Sox opted to keep the slumping slugger.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Whether or not the Avs just try to add a defenseman or two ahead of the deadline as depth pieces, or actually take a swing at landing someone who could play every night — either pushing one of the current top six out of the lineup or onto another team in a trade — remains to be seen.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadline
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Hallie Gu, Arkansas Online, 21 Jan. 2026
The city faces a March 6 deadline for the council to approve June 2026 ballot measures.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
He was believed to be on the market ahead of the trade deadline, but the White Sox opted to keep the slumping slugger.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Whether or not the Avs just try to add a defenseman or two ahead of the deadline as depth pieces, or actually take a swing at landing someone who could play every night — either pushing one of the current top six out of the lineup or onto another team in a trade — remains to be seen.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadline
Cite this Entry
“Deadline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deadline. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
deadline
noun
dead·line
ˈded-ˌlīn 
: a date or time before which something must be done
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