as in later
after the due, usual, or proper time
she belatedly realized that it had been her friend's birthday the day before
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Recent Examples of belatedly
The first part of that deal was (belatedly) honored, though China is falling far short on this year’s commitment, instead hoovering up much cheaper Brazilian alternatives.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 7 May 2026
Let the debate, belatedly, begin.
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
The uproar over Timothée Chalamet‘s comments on opera and ballet may have died down, but the star’s Call Me by Your Name director has belatedly come to his defense.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Credit, therefore, for how Wrexham responded, belatedly bringing a sense of urgency to their play and halving the deficit through Windass’ composed 34th-minute finish.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The eco-friendly aesthetic was an appealing brand story at first, but the company belatedly realized that analysts were right in saying that Allbirds’ marketing was too focused on sustainability virtues and not enough on the appeal of its shoes.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
The Healey administration and the Legislature have belatedly taken notice of this alarming trend.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Imagine meeting the love of your life, entering a relationship with them, and then belatedly realizing your literal body rejects the union.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 6 Mar. 2026
After Carter scored on the Magic's second offensive rebound of their final possession, Luka Doncic belatedly got the ball to James, whose desperation shot didn't go.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Charlie Campbell, Time, 7 May 2026
Let the debate, belatedly, begin.
—Jackie Calmes, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
The uproar over Timothée Chalamet‘s comments on opera and ballet may have died down, but the star’s Call Me by Your Name director has belatedly come to his defense.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Credit, therefore, for how Wrexham responded, belatedly bringing a sense of urgency to their play and halving the deficit through Windass’ composed 34th-minute finish.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The eco-friendly aesthetic was an appealing brand story at first, but the company belatedly realized that analysts were right in saying that Allbirds’ marketing was too focused on sustainability virtues and not enough on the appeal of its shoes.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2026
The Healey administration and the Legislature have belatedly taken notice of this alarming trend.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
Imagine meeting the love of your life, entering a relationship with them, and then belatedly realizing your literal body rejects the union.
—Caroline Tien, SELF, 6 Mar. 2026
After Carter scored on the Magic's second offensive rebound of their final possession, Luka Doncic belatedly got the ball to James, whose desperation shot didn't go.
—ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belatedly
Adverb
-
Buffalo got another power-play goal from the second unit later in the period to take a 4-1 lead.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
-
The image was later seen in theaters, on posters, in merchandise, across sequels and re‑releases without her knowledge or consent.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
7 May 2026
Adverb
-
Most of them were spent on the third defensive pairing, and then the 22-year-old was scratched for Tyson Hinds late in the year as Quenneville favored the size of Hinds, who spent most of his season in the American Hockey League.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Cummins, who worked as a senior vice president at Serco, a government contractor that works with local and federal agencies, would take over a TSA bruised by the longest partial government shutdown in history, which ended late last month.—
Jesse Bedayn,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Adverb
-
The trainer came out to help before Dorofeyev eventually skated off on his own power, and was helped by teammates down the tunnel to the dressing room.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
That disconnect between what a person envisions and what their phone actually records, eventually became the founding thesis behind WayShot.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Adverb
-
In practice, those decisions often get revisited in every meeting, slowly drifting until the calendar forces the club to commit.—
Shivaas Gulati,
Sportico.com,
12 May 2026
-
But slowly over that first season—and then dozens more, as the show became the most influential reality show in the history of TV—the game took center stage.—
Julie Beck,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belatedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belatedly. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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