belatedly

adverb

as in later
after the due, usual, or proper time she belatedly realized that it had been her friend's birthday the day before

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of belatedly The mayor’s pick to lead the independent commission, Christopher Alexander, is now expected to belatedly take the helm in August 2027. — Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 28 Oct. 2026 While researchers belatedly debunked many of those claims, vaccine makers wound up on the hook for significant payouts to litigants. — Joel Dodge, STAT, 14 Oct. 2026 That oversight was belatedly corrected during a 2010 solo museum show at El Museo del Barrio. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026 When that version was belatedly administered to native English speakers, nearly half failed, said Adela Santa Cruz, who leads the Office of English Language Acquisition, which oversees the test. — Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 16 Sep. 2026 Realized belatedly that there are special prizes up for grabs in the Letterboxd League? — Vulture Editors, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026 Pablo belatedly rose from the turf and looked towards the heavens. — Roshane Thomas, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 The last thylacine living in captivity died from exposure in 1936 at the Beaumaris Zoo in Hobart, Tasmania — shortly after the Tasmanian government belatedly granted the species protected status. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026 After belatedly learning of Bu’s falsification, her family earlier this month posted her photos online and appealed for information about her whereabouts, prompting extensive media coverage of her case. — Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belatedly
  1. later
  2. late
  3. eventually
  4. slowly
Adverb
  • This early risk awareness later defined his policy position, as Knot gained a reputation during his tenure as Dutch central bank governor for aggressively combating inflation, enforcing fiscal discipline, and safeguarding financial stability.
    — , CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
  • About a minute later, Guardado began breathing heavily, followed by some sputtering and twitching.
    — KIM CHANDLER, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of later
Adverb
  • While Edmonds and Robinson carried the way early, Harding got going late as the Lions routinely put him on the free-throw line in the first half.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Doncic, who was called for a technical foul late in the first half — his second of the season — had 24 points by halftime.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of late
Adverb
  • Understanding their signals could eventually help people whose illness or limited mobility makes exercise difficult.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Blue Origin has already begun test firing a new engine, called Northstar, that will eventually replace the BE-4 engine that powers the first stage of New Glenn.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of eventually
Adverb
  • Makeup artist Jay Artistry suggests starting with a tiny amount of lipstick on the cheeks and building color slowly, rather than piling it on all at once.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Between the scenes of Odets’s play, music and movement twine like wisteria tendrils slowly pushing their way through concrete.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of slowly

Browse Nearby Words

belated
belatedly
belatedness
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Cite this Entry

“Belatedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belatedly. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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