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: not having or showing knowledge of current ideas or styles : outdated, old-fashioned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
Leaders who voiced such views, such as Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez, were dismissed as eccentrics, their ideas behind the times.
—
Comfort Ero, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
Directed by Gus van Sant, languorous, malicious meals unspool at La Côte Basque, the midtown society lunch spot, gloves are sought at Saks (they are shamed for being behind the times and told to–gasp–try Lord & Taylor).
—Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Others suggest the safety organization has fallen behind the times and doesn’t realize that women are now in the driver’s seat and purchase more vehicles than men.
—Kim Elsesser, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
This old guard not only includes large corporations that remain behind the times technologically but also hundreds of thousands of moribund small and medium enterprises.
—Richard Katz, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2024
But that speculation may be behind the times: In recent months, Haley has become more critical of Trump.
—Leah Askarinam, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023
Was Colorado football team being held back? Before hiring Sanders in December, Colorado seemed to be drastically behind the times in recruiting transfer players from other colleges.
—Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2023
The interior design is a bit behind the times as well, having not changed in many years with only slight modifications to things like the air vents.
—Kyle Edward, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2022
If nothing else, Djokovic’s likely exile from Australia and the first major of the tennis season is a sign that while the calendar has turned over, some athletes will insist on remaining behind the times.
—oregonlive, 6 Jan. 2022
Comfort Ero, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
Directed by Gus van Sant, languorous, malicious meals unspool at La Côte Basque, the midtown society lunch spot, gloves are sought at Saks (they are shamed for being behind the times and told to–gasp–try Lord & Taylor).
—Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024
Others suggest the safety organization has fallen behind the times and doesn’t realize that women are now in the driver’s seat and purchase more vehicles than men.
—Kim Elsesser, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
This old guard not only includes large corporations that remain behind the times technologically but also hundreds of thousands of moribund small and medium enterprises.
—Richard Katz, Foreign Affairs, 31 Jan. 2024
But that speculation may be behind the times: In recent months, Haley has become more critical of Trump.
—Leah Askarinam, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023
Was Colorado football team being held back? Before hiring Sanders in December, Colorado seemed to be drastically behind the times in recruiting transfer players from other colleges.
—Brent Schrotenboer, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2023
The interior design is a bit behind the times as well, having not changed in many years with only slight modifications to things like the air vents.
—Kyle Edward, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2022
If nothing else, Djokovic’s likely exile from Australia and the first major of the tennis season is a sign that while the calendar has turned over, some athletes will insist on remaining behind the times.
—oregonlive, 6 Jan. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'behind the times.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near behind the times
Cite this Entry
“Behind the times.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/behind%20the%20times. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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