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
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
Advertisement Such misadventures are one reason why Washington initiated its effort to rebalance toward Asia belatedly.
—Ali Wyne, Time, 23 Mar. 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
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
Advertisement Such misadventures are one reason why Washington initiated its effort to rebalance toward Asia belatedly.
—Ali Wyne, Time, 23 Mar. 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
-
The Florida Senate later approved the plan in a 21-17 vote.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The titular vampire gang has formed a band, and when its members start to shred, the stage sinks down to create a mosh pit—a hellish underworld into which victims later drop.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The Grammy winner, 31, who debuted late last month as Zidler in the Tony-winning adaptation of the 2001 musical film, will now be taking her final bow on Friday — less than a week after her post Saturday accusing 36-year-old Thompson of infidelity.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Flyers would pull Vladar late in the third period to find a game-tying goal, but time would expire, giving the Penguins a 3-2 win.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Harry and Meghan stepped back from their senior royal roles in 2020 due to media intrusion and racist coverage, eventually taking residence in Canada and, later, California, with their two children – Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The demonstration, set to launch in May 2026, could eventually test humanoid robots in a wide range of airport tasks, including cleaning aircraft cabins and possibly handling ground support equipment such as baggage carts, according to a Japan Airlines press release.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
But the device did start to heat up around the eight minute mark and the results started slowly coming in.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Over the last 15 years, countries including Canada and Ireland have slowly built up animation hubs, aided by their local talent and lucrative production incentives specific to animation and visual effects.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belatedly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belatedly. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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