1
: a large log at the back of a hearth fire
2
: an accumulation of tasks unperformed or materials not processed
a backlog of court cases
Examples of backlog in a Sentence
Noun
We have a huge backlog of orders to be filled.
Recent Examples on the Web
Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
Miami’s court has the largest backlog of them all, with over 291,000 cases.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
Korean Air had almost 160 aircraft as of Dec. 31, according to its most recent financial filing, and around 100 on backlog.
—Danny Lee, Fortune Asia, 21 Mar. 2024
New possibilities for patients This latest approval comes as the FDA is working to clear a backlog of cell and gene therapies that have been waiting for its attention since the pandemic.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
There are many problems with the VA, particularly the extensive backlog of disability claims, which many veterans rely on.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
So far in fiscal 2024, the immigration court backlog in San Diego is 7,290 pending cases and 664 in Otay Mesa.
Being held for a month caused Cancino time away from school, which led to him extending his high school experience, Vakili said.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Nelson — who praised county officials' use of ARPA funds to clear a backlog of courtroom cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, renovate the 65-year-old courthouse and beef up its health department — said the county is already on a path toward setting priorities, but in a comprehensive manner.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024
Airbus, meanwhile, had an order backlog approaching 8,600 commercial aircraft at the end of last year and is already booked up until 2030.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2024
Related:Infractions backlog likely to push Louisville basketball's case into a sixth year NCAA's Complex Case Unit's allegations against Louisville men's basketball: 1.
—Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 28 Mar. 2022
The 2023 tax season is already looking stressful, with the IRS' returns backlog growing and the agency warning Americans that their refunds might come later than usual.
—Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2022
During 2021, Energy Resources added 7.2 GW of new wind, solar and energy storage projects to backlog, which has grown at a 20 percent compound annual rate since 2017.
—Roger Conrad, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2022
Outside of that May backlog, Alabama’s case count hasn’t been this high since March - though cases are still well below the highs seen here in December and January.
—al, 13 Aug. 2021
Noun
However, a backlog forced NASA to simply toss the batteries inside a cargo pallet using the space station’s robotic arm, which led to the uncontrolled reentry.
—Passant Rabie / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
Miami’s court has the largest backlog of them all, with over 291,000 cases.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
Korean Air had almost 160 aircraft as of Dec. 31, according to its most recent financial filing, and around 100 on backlog.
—Danny Lee, Fortune Asia, 21 Mar. 2024
New possibilities for patients This latest approval comes as the FDA is working to clear a backlog of cell and gene therapies that have been waiting for its attention since the pandemic.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
There are many problems with the VA, particularly the extensive backlog of disability claims, which many veterans rely on.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 19 Mar. 2024
So far in fiscal 2024, the immigration court backlog in San Diego is 7,290 pending cases and 664 in Otay Mesa.
Being held for a month caused Cancino time away from school, which led to him extending his high school experience, Vakili said.
—Alexandra Mendoza, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024
Nelson — who praised county officials' use of ARPA funds to clear a backlog of courtroom cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, renovate the 65-year-old courthouse and beef up its health department — said the county is already on a path toward setting priorities, but in a comprehensive manner.
—Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024
Airbus, meanwhile, had an order backlog approaching 8,600 commercial aircraft at the end of last year and is already booked up until 2030.
—Hanna Ziady, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024
Verb
For the 2024 tax season, Collins urged the IRS to make clearing up its identity theft backlog a higher priority.
—Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2024
Related:Infractions backlog likely to push Louisville basketball's case into a sixth year NCAA's Complex Case Unit's allegations against Louisville men's basketball: 1.
—Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 28 Mar. 2022
The 2023 tax season is already looking stressful, with the IRS' returns backlog growing and the agency warning Americans that their refunds might come later than usual.
—Irina Ivanova, CBS News, 21 Dec. 2022
During 2021, Energy Resources added 7.2 GW of new wind, solar and energy storage projects to backlog, which has grown at a 20 percent compound annual rate since 2017.
—Roger Conrad, Forbes, 27 Jan. 2022
Outside of that May backlog, Alabama’s case count hasn’t been this high since March - though cases are still well below the highs seen here in December and January.
—al, 13 Aug. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'backlog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Backlog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backlog. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
backlog
noun
back·log
-ˌlȯg,
-ˌläg
1
: a large log at the back of a fire in a fireplace
2
: an accumulation of tasks that have not been finished
More from Merriam-Webster on backlog
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for backlog
Nglish: Translation of backlog for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of backlog for Arabic Speakers
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