behind the times
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Springfield: At the time, Australia was kind of behind the times, so at the show, when the Beatles came on it was like they were from Mars.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2024
Sometimes a news story seems so behind the times that I find myself double-checking the date.
From Seattle Times • May 8, 2024
Sissy told them they were way behind the times; that midwives were things of the past.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
