in-tray

British

noun

a tray for incoming papers requiring attention

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The health brief is one of the largest in government, and Murray inherits an overflowing in-tray and a department under continuous scrutiny from politicians, clinicians, patients and the media.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

The couple are set to return to the presidential residence, but this time Mutharika's in-tray will be far weightier.

From BBC • Sep. 24, 2025

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters says there are no plans to play a top-flight match abroad and the idea is "not anywhere near my in-tray".

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025

"It's not anywhere near my in-tray and it's not a debate around our table."

From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025

“I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days.”

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023