as in demand
something that someone insists upon having
issued the ultimatum that the project be finished by the following week, or it would be terminated
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Recent Examples of ultimatum
In June, the Department of Education issued a similar ultimatum to California, demanding that the state bar transgender athletes from women’s sports and apologize to female athletes.
—
Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
The ultimatum does not necessarily mean the sports complex is dead.
—Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Georgette believed her mother hoped to reconcile and wanted to use the ultimatum of divorce as a way to push her father to be better.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
The tariff ultimatum marks a drastic escalation that strains NATO, the security alliance binding Europe and North America since 1949.
—Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ultimatum
Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
The ultimatum does not necessarily mean the sports complex is dead.
—Phillip Sitter, Des Moines Register, 27 Jan. 2026
Georgette believed her mother hoped to reconcile and wanted to use the ultimatum of divorce as a way to push her father to be better.
—Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Jan. 2026
The tariff ultimatum marks a drastic escalation that strains NATO, the security alliance binding Europe and North America since 1949.
—Emma Burrows, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ultimatum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ultimatum
Noun
-
Their focus on youth in recruitment demands that older heads (in relative terms, at least — Neto and Fernandez are 25) can alleviate the pressure while players adjust to Chelsea and, in Gittens’ case, the Premier League.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Iranian officials have objected to these demands.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What arrived was pleasant but essentially identical to the nightly pre-dinner cocktail hour provisions, nothing that suggested the kitchen had treated it as a distinct request.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Musk didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Advertisement Henderson noted that 486 voters had registration information that was incomplete or inaccurate and that a third of that group registered decades ago, when the state did not have the same requirements.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Abhisek, my personal butler, looked after my every requirement while offering a wealth of insight into local customs, food and architecture.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ultimatum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ultimatum. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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