deadline

noun

dead·​line ˈded-ˌlīn 

1

: a line drawn within or around a prison that a prisoner passes at the risk of being shot

2

a

: a date or time before which something must be done

b

: the time after which copy is not accepted for a particular issue of a publication

Phrases

on deadline or under deadline

: with the requirement of meeting a deadline

working on deadline

Examples of deadline in a Sentence

She worked on her composition right up until the deadline.

We had to hurry to meet the deadline.

The project was completed a week past its deadline.

The deadline for submitting college applications is April 19th.

They're working under a deadline.

Recent Examples on the Web

With so many races projected to be close, the deadline should again play a major role in determining the playoff qualifiers. —Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

But by 1978, the deadline for compliance had arrived, and a new era in sports had begun for women and girls. —Lindsey Darvin, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Since the team acquired star forward Jimmy Butler at the NBA trade deadline, everything has changed for Golden State. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025

In the weeks and months leading up to a sailing—usually before the final payment deadline—cruise lines may send guests an email notification inviting them to bid for an upgrade. —Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for deadline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• byline
• canine

Kids Definition

deadline

noun

dead·​line ˈded-ˌlīn 

: a date or time before which something must be done