back order

¹ American  

noun

1. Commerce. an order or part of an order waiting to be filled.

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back-order ² American  

[bak-awr-der] / ˈbækˌɔr dər /

verb (used with object)

1. to treat as a back order.

   We have to back-order your sofa until the new fabric arrives.

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back order Idioms  

1. An item not currently in stock but to be sold or delivered when it becomes available, as in We don't have the shoes in white, but we can make them a back order. The verb back-order means “to obtain such an item,” as in The furniture store is going to back-order the sofa for us.

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Example Sentences

But with big turbines on back order for years, data-center players will take whatever they can get their hands on.

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

When the company sought its first ECVs in late 2021, "we basically got laughed out of town by most dealers," with most legacy brand vans on a 12-month back order, he said.

From Reuters • Apr. 13, 2023

We are still experiencing supply chain issues, so while you may pick to do the kitchen all at the same time, you may have a back order on appliances or flooring.

From Slate • Oct. 21, 2022

“Firewood is the new gold,” said Franz Lüninghake, 62, a systems administrator in Bremen, Germany, who has a wood-burning furnace on back order.

From Washington Post • Sep. 17, 2022

Then she would go back finally and order it, but only if it was on back order and wouldn’t be shipped immediately.

From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson