Grammar fix
meet a deadline
finish on time
to finish something by the time it is due
collocationB2common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- We worked late to meet the deadline.work
- At university I learned to plan ahead so that I could meet deadlines without staying up all night.IELTS Part 2
Fix the pattern
Pattern: meet a deadline / meet the deadline
WrongWe reached the deadline just in time.
RightWe met the deadline just in time.
We MEET a deadline (the opposite is MISS it), not 'reach' it.
Patternmeet a deadline / meet the deadline
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Meet the deadline' is the standard collocation; 'adhere to the stipulated deadline' is contract-speak.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
meet + deadlinethe deadlinea tight deadlinedeadlineson time
Don't confuse it
Finishing by the due time, the opposite of miss a deadline.