back-or·der
ˈbak-ˌȯr-dər 
back-ordered; back-ordering; back-orders
: to assign to the status of back order
: a business order yet to be fulfilled because stock is unavailable
Examples of back-order in a Sentence
Noun
The book I want to buy is a back order and won't be shipped for three weeks.
The book I want to buy is on back order and won't be shipped for three weeks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kevin Krause, Dallas News, 11 May 2023
The Tesla halted production on a 576-km Model 3 Long Range, with Elon Musk citing unmanageable back orders.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Apr. 2023
In places like Harford County, where laptops are on back order, students in kindergarten through grade 3 won’t have devices to access classes unless their family provides them, administrators said.
—Liz Bowie, baltimoresun.com, 8 Sep. 2020
Everything was on back order.
—cleveland, 4 Sep. 2020
Sporks are on back order for months.
—BostonGlobe.com, 30 Sep. 2021
With the Akorn shutdown, Gurz said products from the one remaining major domestic source of liquid albuterol, Nephron Pharmacuticals, have been on back order.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 3 Mar. 2023
Mixers, speakers and controllers — which are to turntables as laptops are to desktops — from brands like Pioneer DJ have been on back order for months.
—Brian Josephs, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2022
The parts needed to fix it were on back order due to the frequency of these thefts.
—The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2022
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Noun
But the guns were on back order and difficult to get, especially during the pandemic, said John Mannewitz, who owns Targetmaster with his family.
—Kevin Krause, Dallas News, 11 May 2023
The Tesla halted production on a 576-km Model 3 Long Range, with Elon Musk citing unmanageable back orders.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Apr. 2023
In places like Harford County, where laptops are on back order, students in kindergarten through grade 3 won’t have devices to access classes unless their family provides them, administrators said.
—Liz Bowie, baltimoresun.com, 8 Sep. 2020
Everything was on back order.
—cleveland, 4 Sep. 2020
Sporks are on back order for months.
—BostonGlobe.com, 30 Sep. 2021
With the Akorn shutdown, Gurz said products from the one remaining major domestic source of liquid albuterol, Nephron Pharmacuticals, have been on back order.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 3 Mar. 2023
Mixers, speakers and controllers — which are to turntables as laptops are to desktops — from brands like Pioneer DJ have been on back order for months.
—Brian Josephs, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2022
The parts needed to fix it were on back order due to the frequency of these thefts.
—The Enquirer, 19 Aug. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'back-order.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near back-order
Cite this Entry
“Back-order.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/back-order. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
back order
noun
: a business order that is to be fulfilled later because the item is unavailable
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