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

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

Players were crying on the plane to Houston and hugging teammates in the clubhouse minutes before the deadline. — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Under state law, educators who abandon their contracts after a deadline of 45 calendar days before the start of school could be subject to penalties, including potentially having their teaching certification revoked for one year. — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Sep. 2026

The looming deadline set off a wave of alarm among communities in Los Angeles and beyond. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

However, that deadline deals with which items will appear on the ballot and does not necessarily guide the map that Missouri will use in the election. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing deadline

• on deadline
• under deadline

Rhymes for deadline

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

Kids Definition

deadline

noun

dead·​line ˈded-ˌlīn 

: a date or time before which something must be done