as in delayed
not arriving, occurring, or settled at the due, usual, or proper time
a belated birthday card
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Recent Examples of belated
China, meanwhile, is living with the long shadow of its one-child policy, which was eased to a two-child rule in 2016 and then to a three-child policy in 2021 in a belated push to boost births.
—
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Joy speaks at length about growing up in a culturally sophisticated yet oppressive family and holding her artistic temperament in check, before achieving a belated liberation.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Then, at the end of the episode, Slightly pulls Arthur’s body into a ventilation shaft, in what could be a belated act of regret or an attempt to preserve a Xenomorph host body before any other aliens can eat it.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Scrambling to recall a few staff and issue some belated funding is just window dressing.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belated
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
Joy speaks at length about growing up in a culturally sophisticated yet oppressive family and holding her artistic temperament in check, before achieving a belated liberation.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Then, at the end of the episode, Slightly pulls Arthur’s body into a ventilation shaft, in what could be a belated act of regret or an attempt to preserve a Xenomorph host body before any other aliens can eat it.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
Scrambling to recall a few staff and issue some belated funding is just window dressing.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belated
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belated
Adjective
-
Republicans narrowly control Congress and the agenda, but with the challenge of locking down enough of their own members after a delayed vote, Democratic votes will likely come into play — and the rare opportunity for leverage as the minority party.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
7 Apr. 2026
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Greece’s farming sector faces mounting strain, with weeks of protests triggered by delayed subsidy payments tied to the investigation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The 31-year-old target man scored a late winner against Mbappe’s Madrid to hoist Mallorca out of the bottom three a fortnight ago, and was mobbed by his team-mates as the final whistle blew.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
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Trump nominated Warsh in late January, following a lengthy search process that included nearly a dozen candidates.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Xander Roker and Kirf Olander, San Diegans by way of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively, were tardy to the party, but had no complaints about paying twice face price for the privilege.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Mar. 2026
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Teachers accepted tardy excuses from parents of students stuck in gas lines.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Eight-and-a-half percent were delinquent, but not charged off.—
George Liebmann,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Apr. 2026
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In fact, settling a debt for less than the full amount is a common outcome, particularly if the account has been delinquent for a long time.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These historic moments are often long overdue in a way that inadvertently highlights how far behind the curve the festival was at one point, and, to some degree, continues to be.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
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Certainly, there’s a case for spending somewhat more on defense, given mounting geopolitical risks — but there’s also scope for overdue economies and greater efficiency.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belated. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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