ultimatum

noun

ˌəl-tə-ˈmā-təm How to pronounce ultimatum (audio)
Definition of ultimatumnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 ultimatum Blake gave Hayley the ultimatum after a year and a half of dating. — Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026 The moment was unexpected, and also a big one, as Jessica Grace was the ultimatum-giver. — Joelle Goldstein, USA Today, 15 July 2026 Election confidence is built by facts, transparency, and trustworthy administration—not by panic, paperwork, and political ultimatums. — Reid Ribble, Time, 8 July 2026 That a national symbol could effectively become part of a financial ultimatum reflects only how political this birthday party has become. — Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for ultimatum
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ultimatum
  1. demand
  2. request
  3. requirement
Noun
  • Elite football demands difficult, sometimes brutal decisions.
    — James McNicholas, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • OpenRouter adds what money cannot buy quickly, namely developer distribution and aggregated inference demand already flowing through one interface.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of demand
Noun
  • Hansen’s attorney, who is with the Post-Conviction Justice Project at University of Southern California Gould School of Law, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Securing passage for Iraqi tankers was also one of Baghdad’s main requests during Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf’s visit to Iraq, according to IRNA, with Iraq having been hard hit by the turmoil in the waterway.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of request
Noun
  • States are also setting up systems that may not adequately track pregnant and postpartum enrollees who should be exempt from the law’s new work requirements, erroneously dropping them from coverage, Burak’s report said.
    — Andrew Jones, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
  • There is a new effort to increase the minimum wage and training requirements for security guards in California ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
    — Steve Large, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of requirement

Browse Nearby Words

ultimates
ultimatum
ultimatums
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ultimatum.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ultimatum. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ultimatum

Nglish: Translation of ultimatum for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All