behind the times

idiom

: not having or showing knowledge of current ideas or styles : outdated, old-fashioned

The entire country is behind the times when it comes to protecting the environment.

Our professor is surprisingly behind the times.

Examples of behind the times in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s what legendary Naval officer Hyman Rickover asked after the 2nd World War, and after a U.S. Navy powered by diesel fuel was revealed as somewhat behind the times by an Air Force that could project greater power much more quickly in global fashion. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

But in an era of shiny new tracks and much redevelopment, the Hungaroring was starting to fall a bit behind the times. —Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025

Of course, a lot has changed, and the beginning of the first new episode spends some time with Hank, always a little behind the times, gawking at everything new. —Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 29 July 2025

Noel was generally a far-sighted fan in the 1990s, expressing frustration that the English game remained behind the times. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 29 June 2025

Rhymes for behind the times

• betimes
• enzymes
• lifetimes
• mealtimes
• ofttimes
• oximes
• pastimes
• sometimes
• sublimes
• chimes
• climbs
• climes