Meaning & use
meet deadline
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Meaning
verbtransitive
To finish a task or produce something by the required time or date.
Grammar: Takes an object: 'meet a deadline'. Often used with 'a' or 'the': 'meet the deadline'.
Patterns
- meet a deadline
- meet the deadline
- meet deadlines
The team worked late to meet the deadline.
If we don't hurry, we won't meet the deadline.
She always meets her deadlines without stress.
Word forms
| third person singular | meets deadline |
|---|---|
| past tense | met deadline |
| past participle | met deadline |
| -ing form | meeting deadline |
Common combinations
- meet a tight deadline
- We had to meet a tight deadline for the report.
- meet the deadline for
- Can you meet the deadline for the application?
- struggle to meet a deadline
- Many students struggle to meet deadlines at exam time.
- fail to meet a deadline
- The company failed to meet the deadline and lost the contract.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hit a deadline
- Informal; means to meet a deadline, often used in business contexts.
- make a deadline
- Similar meaning but slightly less formal; often used in everyday speech.
Opposites
Word family
- deadline noun
- The time or date by which something must be finished.
Commonly confused: meet deadline or meet someone?
meet deadline vs meet someone
To see and greet a person; completely different from meeting a deadline.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Meet the deadline' is the standard phrase. 'Meet with the deadline' is wrong because 'meet with' means to have a meeting. 'Meet a deadline' is possible but less specific here; 'the' is more natural when referring to a known deadline.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “meet deadline”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.