deadline
Americannoun
-
the time by which something must be finished or submitted; the latest time for finishing something.
a five o'clock deadline.
-
a line or limit that must not be passed.
-
(formerly) a boundary around a military prison beyond which a prisoner could not venture without risk of being shot by the guards.
noun
Other Word Forms
- postdeadline adjective
Etymology
Origin of deadline
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The sliding center was one of two main Olympic venues that was in danger of not being completed in time for the Milan-Cortina Games, forcing construction workers to race to beat Friday’s deadline.
From Los Angeles Times
Talks between Rio Tinto and Glencore to create the world’s largest mining company were abandoned after they couldn’t reach a deal by a Feb. 5 deadline set by a U.K. regulator.
From MarketWatch
The family's renewed call came after the FBI disclosed that a first deadline of 5 pm on Thursday was made in a ransom letter, without providing a time zone.
From Barron's
The struggling Wizards landed a big name at the NBA trade deadline this week in acquiring Anthony Davis from Dallas.
From Barron's
The deadline is bringing fresh urgency to an industrywide effort to rely less on Chinese components.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.