deadline

noun

dead·​line ˈded-ˌlīn 

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

Phrases

on deadline or under deadline

: with the requirement of meeting a deadline

working 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

Especially considering that a veteran selloff is likely coming at some point before the trade deadline. —Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

In 2023, the NBA and NBPA mutually agreed to extend the deadline to opt out of the CBA by seven weeks. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2025

When deadlines for renewing programs collide with larger funding fights, important benefits can lapse, not because lawmakers chose to end them but because the fights over broader spending leave little room for resolution. —Christopher Robertson, The Conversation, 7 Oct. 2025

The trade may not occur before the November deadline. —Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for deadline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• canine

Kids Definition

deadline

noun

dead·​line ˈded-ˌlīn 

: a date or time before which something must be done