in arrears

Idioms  

1. Late or behind, especially in payment of money. For example, He's been in arrears on his rent so often that he may be evicted. [First half of 1600s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in arrears

Supporters witnessed arguably the worst first half of Alonso's short tenure to date, with Chelsea fortunate not to be further in arrears after the head coach made nine changes to his line-up.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

The U.S. is more than $4 billion in arrears to the U.N.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

George's ordeal dates back to 2016 when an appeal tribunal overturned a CSA decision against him, effectively writing off more than £16,000 in arrears.

From BBC ● May 15, 2026

Social Security’s cost-of-living adjustments are made a year in arrears, so if your costs rose this year, your Social Security payments wouldn’t go up in response until 2027.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026

The pews were decrepit, the bills were once so in arrears the electricity was nearly turned off, and the padre hadn’t installed air-conditioning, despite summer temperatures that reach 120 degrees.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

Related Words

• expected
• outstanding
• overdue
• owed
• payable
• scheduled