backlog

American  

[bak-lawg, -log] / ˈbækˌlɔg, -ˌlɒg /

noun

• backlogs
  plural

1. a reserve or accumulation, as of stock, work, or business.

   a backlog of business orders.

   Synonyms:

   reservoir, cache, fund, store, stock, supply

2. a large log at the back of a hearth to keep up a fire.

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verb (used with object)

backlogged, backlogging

1. to hold in reserve, as for future handling or repair.

2. to enter and acknowledge (an order) for future shipment.

verb (used without object)

backlogged, backlogging

1. to accumulate in a backlog.

   Orders are starting to backlog faster than we can process them.

backlog British  

/ ˈbækˌlɒɡ /

noun

1. an accumulation of uncompleted work, unsold stock, etc, to be dealt with

2. a large log at the back of a fireplace

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• backlogs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of backlog

First recorded in 1675–85; back ¹ + log ¹

Explanation

When you have extra work to do that keeps accumulating, you have a backlog. Sometimes people stay late at their jobs to take care of a backlog. A backlog of tasks might slow down an ordinary day at an office or store, or require workers to come in on the weekend to catch up. In 1680, a backlog meant "a large log placed at the back of a fireplace," and by the 1880s it came to also mean "something stored for later use." It wasn't until the early 20th century that a backlog most often referred to "extra unfulfilled orders."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

backlog backlogs backlogged backlogging

Meanwhile, planned maintenance and upgrades have to be postponed, leading to a maintenance backlog.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

“CoreWeave’s combination of market leadership, execution against a rapidly growing backlog and accelerating profitability underpins our positive outlook,” Liani wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Form has a backlog of commercial projects that jumped earlier this year, to 80 gigawatt-hours from 20 gigawatt-hours.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Shares of the SpaceX rival have risen nearly 80% over the past year on higher revenue and a growing backlog of orders.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

The posters were so good that word of mouth spread, and soon Lori had such a backlog of orders that she was up working until one or two every morning.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

Experts say extended deployments cause maintenance backlogs and stress sailors, who face uncertainty over end dates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Both Super Micro and CoreWeave pointed to swelling backlogs reflecting ongoing customer demand for AI hardware.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Natilus, another California-based startup, is working on a similar, but smaller blended-wing aircraft that would compete more directly with the narrowbodies that dominate Airbus and Boeing’s order backlogs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Since the middle of 2025, four big AI spenders—Alphabet unit Google, Microsoft, Amazon.com and Oracle—have collectively more than doubled their revenue backlogs, adding more than $1 trillion to the combined figure.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

For the huge fireplace, huge lengths of logs, for the backlogs, were cut, which required three persons to roll in place.

From Blazing The Way True Stories, Songs and Sketches of Puget Sound by Emily Inez Denny

This is not normal; immigration court is deeply backlogged and most cases of asylum—one of the most complex forms of U.S. immigration—were being assigned well into 2029 and 2030.

From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2026

The supply chain for natural-gas-fired power plant equipment is also backlogged for years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026

Pending approval by the House and signing by President Donald Trump, a reopened government would pave the way for a flood of backlogged economic data and the resumption of normal airline operations, among other functions.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 11, 2025

The government said it changed the rules to "enhance" the link between Italy and the citizen abroad, avoid 'abuse' and 'commercialisation' of passports, and free up resources to clear backlogged applications.

From BBC ● May 21, 2025

If everyone who came before the court for a competency hearing brought out a bunch of irrelevant witnesses and made long speeches, the court calendar would be backlogged for decades.

From Eastern Standard Tribe by Cory Doctorow

Interviews documented in the police report suggest that a key cause of the backlogging at the lab is a 2009 US Supreme Court decision known as Melendez-Diaz v.

From Nature ● Oct. 10, 2012

But in two fair-sized cities, Portland, Ore., and New Orleans, district attorneys claim that they have been able to get stiffer sentences without backlogging the court docket by cutting down on plea bargaining.

From Time Magazine Archive

Related Words

• inventory
• stockpile