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
Crystal’s Digital Product Creation Center, which was established in 2022, is meeting the increasing demand for 3D virtual sampling. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 19 May 2025 The company had been struggling with weak demand for its ancestry testing kits and a data breach in 2023 that exposed millions of customers’ genetic data. CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Verb
The shifting nature of public opinion nowadays demands tough talk, of strong borders and rule of law. Michael Luo, New Yorker, 20 May 2025 In the strips that make up the inaugural Archipelago Mafalda, Quino’s heroine demands, over and over, that adults do a better job both explaining and occupying the world. Lily Meyer, The Dial, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for demand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demand
Noun
  • Renewable advocates and energy developers say Bonneville struggles to hire and retain people to process connection requests because the agency pays less than the private sector.
    Tony Schick, ProPublica, 12 May 2025
  • But despite the concern, the justices declined at the end of the Biden administration to take up the Justice Department’s request to address the issue after a Texas judge blocked an anti-money laundering law.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • The global cryptocurrency market is currently worth nearly $3 trillion.
    Amit Sinha, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • Secrets of the Flying Scotsman, which has been produced for the international market, will explore the famous locomotive.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 May 2025
Noun
  • Apart from those violations, the CPSC says the swings also fail to meet mandatory warning requirements required to inform parents of the risks of death or serious injury to infants.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Many college students also would be unable to access the Pell Grant under the bill, as Republicans are asking to increase the full-time enrollment requirement to 30 semester hours from 24 semester hours each academic year.
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • Technical safety oversight roles often require highly skilled professionals who have other employment prospects, and a sense of mission and stability plays a major role in drawing and keeping such talent, Connery argued.
    Davis Winkie, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • Being a stenographer requires strong time management.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • Now that Leo has been elected, some say a Chicagoan is actually just what the world needs.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 12 May 2025
  • The almighty TikTok algorithm assured that Warren didn’t need to trauma dump on The Voice or American Idol to find his audience.
    Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 11 May 2025
Verb
  • That’s the question writer-director Ari Aster’s somber comedy-Western Eddington, playing in competition here at the Cannes Film Festival, appears to be asking.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 17 May 2025
  • Here's why Cassie said Combs threatened to 'blow up' Kid Cudi's car During cross-examination, Ventura Fine was asked about her relationship with rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • With Chrome attackers looking to bypass 2FA protections, and compromise passwords, proactive defensive measures are a must.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • Our main takeaway: comfy travel outfits are a must.
    Rylee Johnston, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Building access is about forming genuine connections with other influencers, thought leaders and gatekeepers who already command attention.
    John Knotts, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • Researchers led by Elise Wright Knutsen, an atmospheric physicist at the University of Oslo, waited for the right conditions and commanded Perseverance to look up at exactly the right time.
    Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Demand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demand. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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