demand 1 of 2

1
as in request
something that someone insists upon having agreed to the customer's demand for a refund

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in market
the state of being sought after especially for purchase a steadily declining demand for film cameras

Synonyms & Similar Words

3

demand

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb demand contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of demand are claim, exact, and require. While all these words mean "to ask or call for something as due or as necessary," demand implies peremptoriness and insistence and often the right to make requests that are to be regarded as commands.

demanded payment of the debt

When can claim be used instead of demand?

While in some cases nearly identical to demand, claim implies a demand for the delivery or concession of something due as one's own or one's right.

claimed the right to manage his own affairs

When could exact be used to replace demand?

The words exact and demand can be used in similar contexts, but exact implies not only demanding but getting what one demands.

exacts absolute loyalty

When is require a more appropriate choice than demand?

In some situations, the words require and demand are roughly equivalent. However, require suggests the imperativeness that arises from inner necessity, compulsion of law or regulation, or the exigencies of the situation.

the patient requires constant attention

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of demand
Noun
During these days, because of its strategic location across from the bar, Christopher Park served as a gathering place, refuge, and platform for the community to voice its demand for LGBT civil rights. Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2025 In reality, however, no amount of market interventions or trade deals can prepare the American workforce for the demands of 21st-century manufacturing. Kristen Waggoner, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Verb
For months, the utilities have been demanding that they be given access to records and communications associated with the exchange and for just as long, PURA has denied having any such records in its possession. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 June 2025 Trump demanded in a social media post that Israel stop dropping bombs to save the truce. Medora Lee, USA Today, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for demand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demand
Noun
  • Florida Emergency Management and ICE did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 29 June 2025
  • Also this week, Hippler denied the defense's request to delay the trial.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • But the Cubs, according to sources briefed on their plans, already are canvassing the market, making inquiries on Miami Marlins right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, among many others.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
  • Outlook for the region In emerging markets such as those in Southeast Asia where labor costs are low, companies may feel less motivated to boost efficiency through adoption of technology.
    Bernice Ooi, CNBC, 26 June 2025
Noun
  • And in a case about Texas’ requirement that websites verify users are 18 or over, one justice expressed her own parental frustration over trying to control what her children see on the internet.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 26 June 2025
  • To choose a floor plan that works for your family now—and ten years from now—experts recommend considering key factors such as lifestyle needs, site-specific restrictions, storage requirements, long-term family planning, and budget constraints.
    Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Merging those datasets into a unified Salesforce environment requires careful data mapping to ensure that fields align effectively and relationships between unique data objects are preserved.
    Vamsi Gosu, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025
  • The underground site at Fordow required the use of sophisticated bunker-buster bombs.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Self-watering baskets include a reservoir of water beneath the soil, which is drawn upon as needed.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 28 June 2025
  • In order to find out if this was the case, doctors needed to dilate his pupils to check.
    Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Our characters all ask if maybe they all got lost on the way.
    Tricia Despres, People.com, 21 June 2025
  • Hostin asked on Friday's show, after co-host Joy Behar prompted her to tell their co-hosts that day, including Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro, what had happened.
    Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • To keep our existing customers engaged and attract new ones, continuous product improvement is a must.
    Illia Smoliienko, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • Reebok Women's Classic Az Legacy Sneakers Comfy walking shoes are a must, given how much walking a trip to Japan entails.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Just as the nuclear triad structured the postwar balance of power, this new triad will determine who commands economic stability, military strength and political influence.
    Markus Pflitsch, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • In 1950, Dwight Eisenhower, who had commanded Allied Forces in Europe during the Second World War, became NATO’s first SACEUR.
    Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 23 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Demand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demand. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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