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
The demand for sports is commensurate with its unmatched effectiveness as a delivery system for marketing spiels; as such, the segment outperforms the rest of TV’s programming mix, even when the macroeconomic situation is dicey. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Each concession has been followed by another demand. Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
At the time, Santos proclaimed his innocence and refused to resign from office despite a growing group of lawmakers demanding his exit. Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 25 Apr. 2025 The taxpayer demanded to speak to his grandson and thought heard his grandson’s voice over the phone begging for help (the scammer used artificial intelligence, or AI, to clone the voice). Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for demand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demand
Noun
  • The Treasury Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
    Zac Anderson, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The White House press office did not respond to a request for comment.
    Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY.
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • With no new goods entering Gaza, many foods have disappeared from markets, including meat, eggs, fruits, dairy products and many vegetables.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • India's import licensing requirements, foreign direct investment caps, and state-run trading monopolies control who can do business and under what terms.
    Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Following that outbreak, California lawmakers strengthened childhood vaccination requirements for schoolchildren.
    Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As a result of Moms Demand Action's district-by-district advocacy, more than 11 million students across the country now live in a district that requires schools to educate parents about the critical role of secure firearm storage in keeping students safe.
    Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Back then, most cake recipes were complicated, contained lots of ingredients, and required a mixer.
    Ann Taylor Pittman, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Not every villain needs to be Thanos – sometimes the best/worst ones, like Val, lean more toward real life.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The Village of Chatham and Ball Chatham Schools are going to need their populations and that of the outside world to love them, pray for them, think of them.
    Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Alito asked Alan Schoenfeld, the county’s attorney.
    Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Three Manhattan federal prosecutors resigned on Tuesday after saying the Trump administration had asked them to admit wrongdoing in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s corruption case as a condition of their return.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • For connoisseurs, the pairing menus are a must, blending storytelling and flavor with seamless precision.
    Rai Mincey, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Parental monitoring a must, chief says Mooresville police conducted a similar sting in May 2024 called Operation Artemis, which led to 15 arrests.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Isaacman is a billionaire pilot and astronaut who founded the Shift4 Payments company as a teenager and commanded the first civilian space crew in 2021 aboard a SpaceX capsule.
    Karen Freifeld, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • These little bottles command three-figure price tags.
    Kara Nesvig, Allure, 24 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Demand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demand. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

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