as in inventory
a large number of jobs or items that are waiting to be finished or processed
We have a huge backlog of orders yet to be filled.
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Recent Examples of backlog
Meanwhile, Google’s cloud revenue backlog more than doubled in 2025, growing to $240 billion by the end of last year.
—
Alex Kantrowitz, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
For years, the LAPD struggled to clear a decades-old backlog of untested rape kits that at one point ballooned in number to more than 6,100.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Emergency managers from several states say the funding backlog is having a ripple effect in communities, straining local budgets and delaying or potentially derailing disaster projects that have taken years to plan.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026
Experts say clearing the backlog will take time, as ships must be sequenced through, refueled, and repositioned.
—Jumana Naim, Wired News, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backlog
Alex Kantrowitz, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
For years, the LAPD struggled to clear a decades-old backlog of untested rape kits that at one point ballooned in number to more than 6,100.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Emergency managers from several states say the funding backlog is having a ripple effect in communities, straining local budgets and delaying or potentially derailing disaster projects that have taken years to plan.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026
Experts say clearing the backlog will take time, as ships must be sequenced through, refueled, and repositioned.
—Jumana Naim, Wired News, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backlog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backlog
Noun
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Wolfe said the retailer expects to modify its distribution footprint over time to have most of its inventory and processing pass through its most efficient distribution centers.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
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The first phase of 39 homesites sold out within months, and there has been no inventory since.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The combination of these features makes hypersonic weapons well-suited for engaging critical targets such as command centers, anti-aircraft systems, ships, and supply bases.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
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Additionally, recent developments, such as a surge of investors buying homes in predominantly Black neighborhoods and then leaving them vacant, cut into the supply of available homes and inflated the cost of buying a home in the city.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The result was a collection of photographs that both capture the culture and the people of Mexico and record Hurst’s particular proclivities, the food that fed his hungry eye.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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Notable items from their collections include Charlotte’s Prada coat from the Spring 2023 Menswear collection and Miranda’s vintage Issey Miyake coat.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Once the drone was hit by another drone, the soldiers walked over to retrieve both drones and added them to the pile of drones damaged in earlier training sessions.—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Or a big pile of unclaimed brassieres?—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Grease accumulation was observed on the ventilation hood filters.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
April 24,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Midfielder Telasco Segovia also will sit out due to yellow card accumulation.—
Michelle Kaufman
April 24,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Researchers from the University of Oslo's Museum of Cultural History certified the find and said in a news release on April 29 that the cache of 2,970 silver coins is the largest Viking Age coin hoard in Norwegian history.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
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Then, as now, those financially required to work for a living actually create the wealth, and the nobility hoard and ultimately weaponize it.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Archaeologists have announced the discovery of what was thought to be a remarkable cache of 500 medieval cannonballs.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
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Denver does project to have 10 picks in 2027, so the Broncos could dip into their cache.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Beijing has been somewhat insulated from the conflict’s fallout thanks to its oil stockpile and aggressive push for renewables, but experts say it could be squeezed as a result of slowdowns in its key export markets.—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
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Free agency offered the chance to fill holes and stockpile depth.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backlog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backlog. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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