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

But because Columbus Day was a federal holiday, Congress was not in session, meaning that no legislation was passed by the deadline. —Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025

News organisations have been set a Tuesday deadline to agree to the new conditions. —Callum Sutherland, Time, 14 Oct. 2025

While that deadline came and went, by 2011 Questlove and D’Angelo’s other collaborators began to insist the album was actually close to done. —Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025

Newsom signed their bills on Monday evening, hours before a deadline requiring him to sign or veto legislation elapsed. —Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 14 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