as in inventories
a large number of jobs or items that are waiting to be finished or processed
We have a huge backlog of orders yet to be filled.
Related Words
Relevance
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 backlogs
The spending plans have bolstered European defense primes, some of which have seen their shares more than double in value, while order backlogs have hit record levels.
—
Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
With the rule changes happening after a year, where CBS Chicago investigators last year exposed issues with the IRS backlogs, coinciding with staffing issues and thousands of jobs cut.
—Tara Molina, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The rule of law requires a justice system that works with some speed, but America’s immigration courts are carrying massive backlogs.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2026
Certification of new conditions has slowed, staffing shortages persist at some clinical sites, and administrative backlogs have delayed care for certain patients, Chevat said.
—Liz Neporent, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2026
This year especially, with major changes to the tax law thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and an IRS operating with fewer people and bigger backlogs, the margin for error is thinner than usual.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Macron has been the loudest proponent for purchases of equipment to be from European suppliers, despite current industry backlogs and limited capacity.
—Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
While the process has long been a part of the day-to-day for clubs around the league, recent rule changes, seasonal timing and government backlogs have made longer wait times the norm.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
These developments unfolded during a period marked by broader medtech slowdowns — from regulatory backlogs to lingering effects of the fall government shutdown — as well as a fundraising environment that can be challenging for early-stage medtech companies.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
With the rule changes happening after a year, where CBS Chicago investigators last year exposed issues with the IRS backlogs, coinciding with staffing issues and thousands of jobs cut.
—Tara Molina, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
The rule of law requires a justice system that works with some speed, but America’s immigration courts are carrying massive backlogs.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2026
Certification of new conditions has slowed, staffing shortages persist at some clinical sites, and administrative backlogs have delayed care for certain patients, Chevat said.
—Liz Neporent, ABC News, 5 Feb. 2026
This year especially, with major changes to the tax law thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and an IRS operating with fewer people and bigger backlogs, the margin for error is thinner than usual.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Macron has been the loudest proponent for purchases of equipment to be from European suppliers, despite current industry backlogs and limited capacity.
—Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
While the process has long been a part of the day-to-day for clubs around the league, recent rule changes, seasonal timing and government backlogs have made longer wait times the norm.
—Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 22 Jan. 2026
These developments unfolded during a period marked by broader medtech slowdowns — from regulatory backlogs to lingering effects of the fall government shutdown — as well as a fundraising environment that can be challenging for early-stage medtech companies.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backlogs
Noun
-
Documents ranged from official descriptions of the cotton experiment led by engineer Eduardo Chávez on the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border to inventories listing of the belongings carried by deportees returning to Mexico.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Archivists created inventories and catalogs, attached labels identifying genre and content, and developed filing systems using baskets, shelves, and wall niches.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These piles will be more durable, Yung said, because they are composed of larger trees, some of which have 12-inch diameter trunks.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Burn piles sit close to the road, left during mitigation efforts by Denver Mountain Parks, which owns a lot of land in the area.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hospitals are so poorly equipped that patients are asked to provide supplies needed for their care, from syringes to surgical screws.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Gripped by a worsening economic crisis, Cuba’s government recently adopted rationing measures to protect essential services and ration fuel supplies for key sectors.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Other guests nearby were peering at displays of new pieces from the brand’s Les Pétales and The Bows high jewelry collections.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
And rent collections in many working-class buildings in New York never fully rebounded after COVID.—
Michael Powell,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These transients have brightnesses in between that of classical novas, triggered when a white dwarf hoards material from a companion star thus sparking a runaway nuclear explosion, and supernovas that mark the death of a massive star and the birth of a black hole or a neutron star.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
McCarthy, in 2014, speculated there could be other hoards of coins out there.—
Justin Pot,
Popular Science,
24 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
An undisclosed amount of funds had disappeared, and the unidentified brother was convinced McBride took it, the report read.—
Devoun Cetoute,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The Commissioners Court held performative sessions that ignored resident concerns and spent significant taxpayer funds defending maps that prioritized political gain over local governance.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Keeping those stockpiles high, regardless of the sport, is critical, Mower says—although perhaps not solely with bagels.—
Claire Cameron,
Scientific American,
11 Feb. 2026
-
That could drive up supply, which could balance out with demand once the stockpiles come back to normal.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Total snow accumulations of 1 to 4 inches for 3500 to 4500 feet elevation, and 4 to 8 inches above 4500 feet elevation.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Total snow accumulations of up to 4 inches between 3500 and 4500 feet, 6 to 12 inches for 4500 to 6000 feet, and 1 to 2 feet above 6000 feet.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backlogs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backlogs. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
