DEMANDS Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

demands 1 of 2

noun

plural of demand

as in requirements

something that someone insists upon having agreed to the customer's demand for a refund

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in markets

the state of being sought after especially for purchase a steadily declining demand for film cameras

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in necessities

something necessary, indispensable, or unavoidable we are very confident that our new employee is fully equal to the demands of the job

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

demands

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of demand

as in requests

to ask for (something) earnestly or with authority the losing party demanded a recount of the votes cast in the election

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in needs

to have as a requirement a task that demands one's unremitting attention

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in asks

to set or receive as a price superstars of the big screen who demand millions for appearing in a movie

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 demands

Noun

Weeks of work were undone by last minute demands that the Canadians simply could not accede to. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 Their demands for records mirror a New Mexico lawsuit and whistleblower claims that agents were ordered to stand down instead of seizing hundreds of thousands of lethal pills. — Joshua Goodman, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 Still, the record top-line figure is a modest increase over this year’s budget, lagging South Korea and Taiwan, and may prove too incremental to satisfy US demands. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Teachers may feel ever-increasing demands from administrators to use the technology provided to them. — Perry Rettig, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Women seeking political office have long grappled with double standards around the demands of motherhood, with many waiting to seek office once their children were grown. — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 Elwood scanned the bullet points, a scattershot list of demands. — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 Treasury, State and Department of War teams are meeting foreign counterparts with demands for immediate action and per-country deadlines, as Davis Polk records. — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Assign the technical evaluation to team members with deep expertise in the role’s technical demands. — Harvard Business Review, 24 Aug. 2026

Verb

Modern operational resilience demands dynamic alignment frameworks, such as expanding target setting into living check-in agreements that continually adjust resources, targets and support to match shifting market realities. — Natalie Grabher, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 The process now laid out by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services demands that states verify how severe a diagnosis is — this requires an extra visit and paperwork from the doctor. — Abdullah Shihipar, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026 China’s market dominance demands that all three North American countries work together to take on more activist policies. — Chad P. Bown, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026 The Commanders have a lot of cleaning up to do before the regular season starts, and a brutal early schedule demands a sense of urgency. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026 What has been missing is the urgency — and the political will — to respond on the scale this crisis demands. — Jason Collins, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026 Iran demands that ships use a northern route through its territorial waters to transit the strait or risk coming under attack. — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 When one important measure changes dramatically while other indicators move in a different direction, that discrepancy demands investigation. — Katie Pace Miles, New York Daily News, 25 Aug. 2026 The current climate demands bold, courageous leadership to defend our constitutional freedoms. — Jack Springgate, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for demands

Noun

Process control, workplace conditions, customer requirements and long-term competitiveness are already pushing the industry in the same direction.

— Alice Tonello, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026
Most students received milder penalties — warnings, probation or requirements to attend counseling or workshops, which together made up 93% of sanctions.

— Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of requirements

Noun

Kalshi won that election lawsuit and soon started offering markets on the 2024 presidential race.

— Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
The early start will necessitate navigating the weather, particularly for teams in colder markets, such as Chicago, Denver, and Boston.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of markets

Noun

In South Florida, the affordability crisis is proving particularly difficult for residents managing chronic conditions, who are increasingly forced to choose between basic necessities and medical care.

— Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
That’s because most teachers have to pay for supplies, decor, and other classroom necessities out of their own pocket.

— Sydney Lake, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of necessities

Verb

Proton Mail, acting as a proxy, requests the image and caches it on its own servers.

— Neil J. Rubenking, PC Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
The person asked for gas money and Bitcoin, requests the family found suspicious because Goods doesn't drive and didn't have a car in Las Vegas.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of requests

Verb

Not every productive moment needs an audience, a grand entrance, or your name in lights.

— Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 1 Sep. 2026
For example, experts might put a lot of effort into listening to community needs to demonstrate integrity and openness, but miss opportunities to communicate the underlying benevolent motivations driving their work.

— John C. Besley, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of needs

Verb

The group also claims to have obtained a playable build of the game and asks users for cryptocurrency donations.

— Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
One day, a stranger hands you a tablet and asks you to identify the correct words in a passage or find information in a chart.

— Jennifer D. Kobrin, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of asks

Noun

Tasked with designing the FIFA KC Fan Fest site for the World Cup, Kansas City sports architecture firm Populous checked the boxes of musts to be included for the site at the World War I Museum.

— Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026
Tex-Mex and barbecue are musts, and the options are plentiful.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 May 2026

Definition of musts

Verb

The Broadway production takes that same approach and translates it thrillingly to the stage through an entirely original ghost story that requires no knowledge of anything that’s come before it.

— Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Following a 1990 accident that fractured his spine, Billesdon lives with a paralyzed colon and bladder that requires workplace accommodations and causes severe side effects from medication.

— Chase Jordan, Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of requires

Browse Nearby Words

demanding

demands

demarcate

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Demands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demands. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of demands

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes