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
But in Illinois, there's no deadline at all.
—
Megan De Mar, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
That and their current place in the standings should be more than enough motivation for their front office to consider offloading long-term salary between now and the deadline.
—Danny Leroux, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
With the deadline approaching, a stake sale may be considered in the fiscal year ending March 2027.
—Ashutosh Joshi, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Dak already has shot past the championship game deadline in that no other quarterback has ever begun his career with a team and played 10 seasons without reaching the NFC or AFC title game, then reached a Super Bowl with that team later in his career.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deadline
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Megan De Mar, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
That and their current place in the standings should be more than enough motivation for their front office to consider offloading long-term salary between now and the deadline.
—Danny Leroux, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
With the deadline approaching, a stake sale may be considered in the fiscal year ending March 2027.
—Ashutosh Joshi, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Dak already has shot past the championship game deadline in that no other quarterback has ever begun his career with a team and played 10 seasons without reaching the NFC or AFC title game, then reached a Super Bowl with that team later in his career.
—Arkansas Online, 28 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 30 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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