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 This year, blessedly free of injury, Muchová has belatedly been able to play the kind of tennis that makes purists purr. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 5 July 2026 Willis, who still performs periodically, is preparing to belatedly release his first solo album. — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2026 His lament mirrored the anguish of legions of Venezuelans who endured harrowing days clearing rubble by hand before crews with heavy equipment and rescue dogs belatedly arrived. — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026 These Supreme Court cases were belatedly allowed to proceed due to a 1996 law, the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act. — Manuel A. Gómez, The Conversation, 25 June 2026 That’s when Hilton renewed his earlier calls for Bianco to belatedly drop out of the race. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 9 June 2026 The Spanish Catholic hierarchy is belatedly reckoning with decades of abuse and cover-ups in the once-staunchly Catholic country. — ABC News, 6 June 2026 The Digest Feminist, self-taught, and belatedly recognized French artist Raymonde Arcier has died at 86. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 2 June 2026 That contrast was also manifest in the relative outcomes; the White House only belatedly announced deals for the sale of 200 Boeing jets and at least $17 billion of American agricultural products annually to China through 2028. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belatedly
  1. later
  2. late
  3. eventually
  4. slowly
Adverb
  • Medical examiners later told the detective that a range of 200 to 500 ng/mL was an appropriate therapeutic dose for an adult.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
  • And the epilogue, which takes place many years later, feels like a miscalculation.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 July 2026
Definition of later
Adverb
  • Germany won the final, with its only goal coming late in extra time.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • The first hint that change was on the table came late last year, when Policy Analysis for California Education, a consortium of education faculty at five major universities, issued a lengthy critique of the current system.
    — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 14 July 2026
Definition of late
Adverb
  • The decision sparked protests and set off years of litigation involving community groups, beach access advocates and, eventually, the state of California.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 16 July 2026
  • An exceptional book about Kafka’s first translators and how his work was eventually introduced to American readers during the Cold War.
    — Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
Definition of eventually
Adverb
  • The abduction of Nicolas Maduro, then the president of Venezuela, was daring, high-risk, and has slowly paid off, with Caracas becoming more US-friendly.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Where Prozac and similar drugs slowly change the chemicals in the brain, psychedelics may quickly prompt neurons to create new connections.
    — Angelica Peebles, CNBC, 16 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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