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

The total company backlog, which rose to a record $715 billion, included over 6,200 commercial airplanes.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

The administration framed the move as an effort to streamline the process and reduce the backlog of cases.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

Booz Allen’s total backlog stood at $39.48 billion as of June 30, up 3.2% from last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Law firms say some tribunals are now being listed for 2030 and the backlog is expected to grow with the Employment Rights Act.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

I checked my e-mail, reading the backlog of letters from my mother, getting snippier as they progressed to the present.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Surging electricity demand and equipment backlogs have pushed up construction costs for U.S. power plants more than 10% since last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Numerous cities and municipalities have sued the largest firetruck makers, alleging they created artificial shortages and backlogs to drive up prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Both Bloom Energy and GE Vernova’s order backlogs have soared to $20 billion and $163 billion, respectively.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

The Ministry of Justice said the government inherited "a failing tagging system with record backlogs".

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 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 Denny, Emily Inez

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

As part of the layoffs, in San Francisco, the regional branch of the department’s Office for Civil Rights — already backlogged with investigations into school-related discrimination — is closing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 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 Doctorow, Cory

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