behind the times
IdiomsExample Sentences
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When he returned to the U.S. after eight years abroad, he remarked, “Europeans are 20 years behind the times, but working damned hard three days a week to catch up.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
"You'd think it's something small but a lot of clubs are still behind the times with that. It's about breaking those barriers and making sure spaces are available for mums," she added.
From BBC • Jan. 11, 2026
The tenor of such softball japes can make “Shifting Gears” feel behind the times.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2025
Simpson, whose murder trial beamed live from a California courtroom captivated a nation three decades ago, was a telling reminder of how New York is behind the times — or, at least, a holdout.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 15, 2024
He said we were delightful, and if there’s one way to show how much you’re not trying to make believe you’re not behind the times, it’s to go around saying people are delightful.
From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.